A Ukrainian drone offensive against two distribution centers resulted in at least eight fatalities on Russian territory. Simultaneously, a fire at an oil storage facility in the Moscow region forced the evacuation of patients from a maternity hospital, local authorities announced this Saturday (18).
"Seven night shift workers died when enemy drones attacked a logistics center" of the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries in Kotovsk, wrote the region's governor, Evgueni Pervishov, on Telegram. The bombing in this small town in western Russia also left 24 injured, he added.
Another Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal, in the Moscow region, was hit by a drone fall, said Governor Andrei Vorobyov, causing one death and 37 injuries.
Furthermore, he reported a fire "at an oil depot" in neighboring Noginsk, where two people were injured and a nearby maternity hospital had to be evacuated "for safety reasons."
On Saturday morning, a dense column of smoke was seen over this municipality and several fire trucks heading towards Moscow. The Moscow region was targeted by more than 370 drones overnight, according to the capital's mayor, Sergey Sobyanin.
"Most were shot down by air defenses while still far away. Sixty-four enemy drones were destroyed as they approached Moscow," the official added on Telegram.
Four years of war
Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian territory in recent months, especially targeting logistics infrastructure related to hydrocarbons in an attempt to curb funding for the conflict started by Russia in February 2022.
"Two major logistics facilities were hit — in the Moscow and Tambov regions, more than 500 and about 700 km from the front line," said Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky on X.
According to him, these centers were used "to supply sanction-sensitive components intended for the production of drones and navigation equipment." In Ukraine, Russian attacks left one dead and 13 injured, local authorities announced.
