Ukraine's 370-Drone Barrage on Moscow: July 18 Attack Kills 8, Hits Wildberries Warehouses and Oil Depot

Elektrostal (Moscow Oblast) — Wildberries logistics hub

A second Wildberries warehouse was set ablaze by drone strikes. Governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed 26 people were injured across Elektrostal and Noginsk combined, with the Elektrostal fire described as a large-scale blaze . Wildberries confirmed its logistics center there was hit . Footage showed a massive column of smoke rising over the city .

Noginsk (Moscow Oblast) — oil depot

Drone debris sparked a fire at the Nafto-Service oil depot in Noginsk. The fire injured two people and forced the evacuation of a nearby maternity hospital and a residential building . The oil depot housed 24 storage tanks with a total capacity of 11,500 cubic meters, located 50 km from Moscow . Footage showed large flames at the site .

Broader geographic footprint

Explosions and drone activity were also recorded in Tver and Vladimir, suggesting the attack had a wider geographic footprint beyond the primary strike sites .

Aggregate toll

Russian officials reported a total of 8 killed and more than 60 wounded across all affected regions from the overnight attack . The Associated Press, Reuters, and ABC News all confirmed these aggregate figures from regional governors' statements .

Broader pattern of escalation

This strike is part of a steep ramp-up in Ukraine's long-range drone campaign in 2026:

Daily strikes on Moscow

Ukraine has targeted Moscow with drone attacks every day of 2026, a departure from the less frequent raids of 2025, according to Russia's Defense Ministry data . Reuters reported this as "an apparent escalation" from previous sporadic assaults that typically coincided with significant dates .

Mass raids increasing in scale

On July 7, Sobyanin reported over 430 drones aimed at the capital in a single night, described by state media as the largest air raid on Moscow in two years . The July 18 barrage of 370+ drones follows the same pattern of mass swarms designed to overwhelm air defense layers . Over a seven-day period from July 11-18, Sobyanin reported a cumulative total of 1,892 drones directed toward Moscow .

Systematic targeting of energy and logistics

Ukraine's long-range drones have repeatedly hit oil refineries (including Moscow's refinery in June 2026), fuel depots, and logistics hubs — aiming to degrade Russia's energy revenues and military supply chains . President Zelenskyy said Ukraine knocked out nearly 40% of Russia's primary oil-refining capacity by May 2026 . Western analysts describe Ukraine's drone playbook as causing significant economic and operational disruption deep inside Russia .

Institutional shift

In July 2026, Zelenskyy created a dedicated "long-range impact" command within the armed forces to coordinate strikes on Russian energy and logistics infrastructure . He stated the move formalized months of escalating drone operations as "long-range sanctions" against Russia's state budget .

Strategic effect

The campaign has forced Russia to ban diesel exports, restrict shipping near the Sea of Azov, and redeploy air defense systems to protect Moscow and other key sites, stretching Russian defenses . President Putin acknowledged for the first time in June 2026 that Russia was facing "a certain deficit" of fuel and vowed to strengthen protection of oil facilities .

How the July 18 attack fits the strategy

The July 18 attack is consistent with this broader strategy: hitting e-commerce logistics (Wildberries facilities that the Ukrainian General Staff identified as being used for military supply chains), an oil depot at Noginsk, and sending a large enough swarm to overwhelm air defense layers around Moscow . The inclusion of shrapnel-equipped warheads on the Kotovsk drones is a notable tactical detail that aligns with Ukraine's effort to maximize the cost of these strikes .