Ukraine launches hundreds of drones towards Moscow in latest large-scale attack, reportedly damaging Wildberries warehouse

Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale drone attack targeting Moscow and the surrounding region overnight on Aug. 18, Russian Telegram media channels reported, citing resident accounts.

A Wildberries warehouse was reportedly damaged outside Moscow, according to Russian state media outlet Moscow 24, as Ukraine continues targeting Russia's largest online retailer.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that at least 197 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Moscow Oblast during the attack, while Russian authorities claimed 600 had been launched at the region.

Overall, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 791 Ukrainian drones across 13 Russian regions overnight.

The Ukrainian monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova Plus reported that Russian air defense systems struck a residential building in the town of Pavlovsky Posad around 67 kilometers (42 miles) outside of Moscow while attempting to down the drones. A fire was seen on the roof of a building.

A fire was also reportedly seen at an aluminum plant in Moscow Oblast and a third fire was also seen burning at a home in the city of Lyubertsy, immediately outside the Moscow city boundaries.

Footage from residents in the town of Staraya Kupavna, 23 kilometers (14 miles) east of Moscow, reportedly shows Russian citizens running and cars racing in the street as explosions are heard.

A car and a transformer substation were damaged in the town of Elektrostal, located 58 kilometers (36 miles) east of Moscow, according to Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov.

OSINT analysis by independent Russian media outlet ASTRA also geolocated damage to the Globus shopping center in Kolomna, where parts of the facade and windows were damaged. Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov earlier said a nearby shopping pavilion caught fire after drone debris fell in the area.

ASTRA also said a drone struck one of the chimneys at the Karbolit chemical plant in Orekhovo-Zuyevo, damaging a metal maintenance platform attached to the structure. The outlet said the incident may have resulted from Russian air defense activity.

Fires were also visible in satellite imagery of the Severnoye Domodedovo warehouse complex in Moscow Oblast following the drone attack, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Open-source data indicates that the site houses a distribution center for the SPAR supermarket chain and was previously used by B.I. Logistics, a company specializing in the storage of radioactive materials.

The extent of the damage caused was not immediately clear.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the reports or claims made by Russian officials.

Separately, the General Staff said its forces struck a Russian ammunition depot in Karlivka, Donetsk Oblast, as well as five drone command posts in Belgorod and Zaporizhzhia oblasts overnight on August 18. Ukrainian forces also hit a Russian command post near Terny in Donetsk Oblast.

The reported strikes follow one of Ukraine's largest drone attacks on Moscow Oblast on Aug. 16, which damaged a warehouse belonging to major Russian online retailer Wildberries in Moscow Oblast.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed the attack on the Wildberries warehouse, noting that it is the company's largest such facility, at 250,000 square meters.

Attacks on Moscow have become increasingly common in recent months through Ukrainian drone developments.

Ukraine regularly strikes military infrastructure deep within Russia and the occupied territories in an effort to diminish Moscow's ability to continue waging its war.

Wildberries lists a range of military equipment on its website, including drone components and body armor. The company's banking arm was sanctioned by the EU in July over its financial contribution to Russia's state budget. Wildberries also plays a significant role in the Russian consumer economy.