Ukraine launches massive drone attack on Moscow region, hitting oil depot and Wildberries logistics centers, killing 7
Over 370 drones targeted oil and logistics infrastructure east of Moscow, with fires at a Noginsk oil depot and two Wildberries distribution centers. Seven employees died in Tambov.
Scale of the attack
On the night of July 18, Ukraine launched over 370 drones toward the Moscow region, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. He stated that 64 were shot down as they approached the capital. The attack ignited a fire at an oil depot in Noginsk, about 50 km east of Moscow. The depot, an independent operator on the fuel market, stores and transfers light oil products including gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, with 24 tanks and a total capacity of approximately 11,500 cubic meters. Thick black smoke was visible from within Moscow city limits.
Casualties and damage
Two Wildberries logistics centers were hit: one in Elektrostal, Moscow region (the company's second largest by order volume), and one in Kotovsk, Tambov region. In Kotovsk, seven employees on the night shift were killed and 24 injured, Tambov governor Evgeny Pervyshov reported. The open fire was extinguished. In the Moscow region, 26 people were injured: two in Noginsk and 24 at the Elektrostal facility. A maternity hospital near the Noginsk depot was evacuated. Wildberries confirmed the attacks but reported no casualties at the Moscow region site, where the fire continued. The Kyiv Independent noted it could not independently verify Russian officials' claims.
The sequence of the night's strikes unfolded as follows:
- Over 370 drones launched toward Moscow region overnight
- Fire breaks out at oil depot in Noginsk, 50 km east of Moscow
- Wildberries logistics hub in Elektrostal, Moscow region, catches fire
- Wildberries center in Kotovsk, Tambov region, struck; 7 employees killed
- Over 20 explosions reported near Giardeiskoie air base and other sites in occupied Crimea
- President Zelensky confirms operation on X, says logistics hubs supplied drone components
Zelensky confirms the operation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strike on X, calling it a response to Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure.
As a response to Russian attacks on our civilian infrastructure, two major logistics facilities in the Moscow and Tambov regions were hit. The aggressor was using them to supply sanctioned components for drone and navigation equipment production.
He added that Ukrainian forces also struck an oil facility and targets in the Azov Sea, Black Sea, and occupied Crimea, thanking the units involved.
Crimea and other targets
Explosions were reported in multiple areas of occupied Crimea. The monitoring channel Krymsky Veter reported over 20 explosions near the Giardeiskoie military air base, as well as incidents in Sevastopol, Feodosia, and Kerch. The Balaklava thermal power plant was among the possible targets. Videos showed Russian mobile air defense groups attempting to intercept drones. Additionally, an oil product depot in Mikhailovsk, Stavropol region, was hit, with witnesses reporting powerful explosions and a fire. Russian authorities did not immediately provide an official toll.
Context and escalation
The attack came hours after Russia launched a massive ballistic missile bombardment on Kyiv, causing injuries and significant damage. It also occurred exactly one month after Ukraine's largest drone attack on Moscow to date, which struck the Moscow Oil Refinery on June 18. In recent months, Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes on Russian military, industrial, and energy infrastructure, arguing that these facilities fuel the Kremlin's war machine. Russia has responded by reinforcing air defenses around the capital, deploying new Pantsir-SMD-E systems on rooftops of civilian buildings in Moscow.
