Ukraine sent over 600 drones toward Moscow overnight on August 18, one of the largest strikes of the war. At least three people were injured, including a child, and a Wildberries warehouse was hit.
Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone attacks of the war overnight between August 17 and 18, 2026, sending swarms of long-range drones toward Moscow and the surrounding region. Russian officials said more than 600 drones — one figure put the number at 637 — targeted the Moscow region, keeping the capital's air defenses engaged for hours through the night. Volunteers Support Ukraine is following the fallout of this strike as part of its daily monitoring of how the war continues to unfold on both sides of the front.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses shot down about 180 drones over the Moscow region between Monday evening and 5 a.m. Tuesday. Russia's state news agency TASS described the assault as the largest drone attack on Moscow in the past two years. Volunteers Support Ukraine notes that the scale of the operation shows how central long-range drones have become to Ukraine's strategy, nearly three years into the full-scale invasion.
Drones struck a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest e-commerce company, along with several other sites in the Moscow region. At least three people were injured region-wide, including a 10-year-old girl. Fires and property damage were reported in a number of districts around the capital as debris from intercepted drones fell across the area. Volunteers Support Ukraine points out that even strikes aimed at logistics and military-linked infrastructure carry real risk for nearby residents — a reminder of how far the war now reaches beyond the front line itself.
An earlier fire at a Wildberries logistics warehouse near Moscow this same week, illustrating the kind of damage this campaign has repeatedly caused to the company's facilities.
The scale of the attack is corroborated by Russian officials and state media themselves, not only by Ukrainian claims. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces downed more than 300 drones across the country overnight, including 126 over the Kursk border region alone. Authorities in annexed Crimea also reported heavy overnight drone activity. Volunteers Support Ukraine finds it notable that the extent of the operation is being confirmed by the very side it targeted, leaving little room to dispute its scope.
This attack was not an isolated event. For months, Ukraine has been carrying out a sustained campaign of long-range drone strikes against Russian logistics hubs, warehouses — including repeated hits on Wildberries facilities — and oil refineries. Ukrainian officials describe the goal as squeezing Russia's economy and military supply chains, building leverage toward an eventual peace settlement. Volunteers Support Ukraine continues to track how this campaign is reshaping the daily reality of the war, far beyond the front line itself.
Wars like this one leave people on both sides of the front exposed to danger, loss, and disruption to everyday life. NGO Volunteers Support Ukraine helps people affected by the war with the resources it has available, focusing its efforts on the communities and individuals it can reach. Every day, our team works to turn donations and support into real, direct help for those who need it most.
