Conflict & Security
Ukraine drone strikes on Russian warehouses kill eight, officials say
Ukrainian explosive-laden drones struck e-commerce warehouses in Russia's Moscow and Tambov regions on Saturday, killing eight people and causing large fires that sent thick black smoke into the sky for hours, officials said.
The strikes hit two key warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia's biggest online retailer. Wildberries CEO Tatiana Kim said the events were deeply painful for the company and the country.
Evgeny Pervyshov, governor of the Tambov region about 500 kilometres southeast of Moscow, said seven night-shift employees were killed when Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles hit a Wildberries logistics centre. In the Moscow region, where an oil depot was also struck in addition to another Wildberries warehouse, one person died in hospital, regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said.
Firefighters were still fighting the blaze in Elektrostal in the Moscow region, while Tambov regional authorities said the fire there had been put out. Vorobyov said an empty kindergarten in Elektrostal was also hit, but no one was injured there. Authorities said almost 90 people were wounded in the attacks on the two regions and taken to hospital.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 370 drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight. He also said almost 1,892 Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow were intercepted between July 11 and July 18.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that two major logistics facilities in the Moscow and Tambov regions had been hit in response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, cities and communities. He alleged the centres were used to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.
Kyiv has intensified strikes on Russian territory in recent months, describing the campaign as retribution for more than four years of bombardment against Ukraine. The source says the campaign, which Kyiv calls “long-range sanctions,” has mostly targeted Russian oil infrastructure and has contributed to a fuel crisis in Russia.
In Ukraine, Russian strikes killed five people and wounded almost 20 others in southeastern regions, according to the source. In major Ukrainian cities, thousands of people gathered for a third day of protests against the removal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov after Zelensky ordered a surprise government reshuffle.
The source says fighting on the front line has largely stalled, with Ukraine appearing to have slowed Russia's summer offensive. It also says US-led diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain frozen after Washington shifted its attention to its war against Iran.
Update
Wildberries CEO Tatiana Kim described the night as a painful event for the company and the country.
Tambov governor Evgeny Pervyshov said seven night-shift employees were killed at a Wildberries logistics centre in the Tambov region.
Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov said one person died in hospital after strikes in the Moscow region, where an oil depot and another Wildberries warehouse were hit.
Authorities said almost 90 people were wounded in the attacks on the Moscow and Tambov regions and taken to hospital.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 370 drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight and that almost 1,892 Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow were intercepted between July 11 and July 18.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said two major logistics facilities were hit in response to Russian strikes and alleged the centres supplied sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.
The source also reports Russian strikes in Ukraine killed five people and wounded almost 20 others in southeastern regions.
Thousands of people in major Ukrainian cities protested for a third day against the removal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, according to the source.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 17:55:34 UTC.
Update
Wildberries CEO Tatiana Kim described the events as a terrible night for the company and the country.
An AFP journalist saw thick black smoke over the Moscow region on Saturday morning that remained until at least late afternoon.
The Moscow region strike also hit an oil depot and an empty kindergarten in Elektrostal, according to regional governor Andrei Vorobyov, with no casualties at the kindergarten.
Authorities said almost 60 people were wounded in the attacks on the Moscow and Tambov regions and taken to hospital.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 370 drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight and that almost 1,892 Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow had been intercepted from July 11 to July 18.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes hit two logistics facilities in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, cities and communities.
Zelensky alleged the targeted centres were used to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.
Russian strikes on Odesa in Ukraine killed one person and wounded 13, according to the source.
The source reports that fuel shortages have affected nearly 90 percent of Russian regions since June after intensified Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
The source says fighting on the front line has largely stalled and that US-led diplomatic efforts remain frozen.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 16:04:35 UTC.
Update
Russian e-commerce firm Wildberries said logistics complexes in Kotovsk and Elektrostal were attacked.
Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov said one person was killed and 37 were injured at the Elektrostal warehouse.
Vorobyov said a fire broke out at an oil depot in Noginsk, two people were injured, and a nearby maternity hospital was evacuated for safety reasons.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 370 drones were launched toward Moscow region overnight and that 64 were destroyed on approach to Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said two logistics facilities in Moscow and Tambov regions were hit and alleged they were used to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.
The item says Russian strikes in Ukraine left one person dead and 13 injured.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 10:18:47 UTC.
Update
Wildberries said its logistics complexes in both Kotovsk and Elektrostal came under attack.
Wildberries said the fire at the Tambov region facility had been contained, while firefighters were still working in Elektrostal.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 370 drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight.
Sobyanin said 64 drones were destroyed on approach to Moscow.
The source adds context that US-led diplomatic efforts to end the fighting have stalled in recent months as Washington shifted focus to its conflict with Iran.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 04:33:35 UTC.
Update
The attack was reported in the town of Kotovsk in Russia's Tambov region.
Tambov region Governor Evgeny Pervyshov gave the casualty figures.
The site was identified as a Wildberries logistics centre.
The governor said the seven people killed were night-shift employees.
The governor said the figure of 24 wounded was preliminary.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 03:12:59 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Zelensky's allegation that the logistics centres supplied sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment is presented as a claim and is not independently verified in the source.
Source
AFP news report published on .