Ukrainian drones strike Russian Wildberries warehouses, 7 dead
Ukrainian unmanned aircraft attacked two Wildberries logistics centres in Russia on the night of 17‑18 July 2026. One strike hit the warehouse in Kotovsk, Tambov region, killing seven night‑shift workers and wounding 24. A second strike hit the Elektrostal facility in the Moscow region, injuring another 24 people. Russian authorities reported that more than 370 drones were launched toward the Moscow area, of which 64 were shot down as they approached the capital. The Tambov governor Evgeny Pervyshov said the fire at the Kotovsk site was extinguished, while Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed the large‑scale drone barrage and the effectiveness of air‑defence systems. Russia has classified the attacks as acts of terrorism and opened criminal investigations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the operations as targeting logistical hubs used to supply sanctioned components for Russia’s war effort. The incidents mark a significant escalation in Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian infrastructure, causing civilian casualties and drawing international attention.