Ukrainian Drones Hit Russian Logistics Centers Amid Russian Port Strikes

Ukrainian forces launched a series of long-range drone strikes across western Russia on July 18, 2026, targeting energy and logistics infrastructure. The attacks struck two warehouses belonging to the online retailer Wildberries; seven night-shift employees died in Kotovsk and at least one person died in Elektrostal. Dozens more were wounded across both sites. Additional strikes hit an oil depot in Noginsk and a residential building in Vladimir. Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the operations, stating the facilities were used to supply sanctioned components for Russian drone and navigation equipment production.

In response, the Russian military executed massive strikes across southern and central Ukraine. In Odesa, Russian forces targeted port infrastructure and vessels, including a ship flying the Antigua and Barbuda flag, killing at least one person. Other attacks hit a UN World Food Programme warehouse in Dnipro four times and an employee bus in Marhanets, killing one man. Earlier strikes on July 17 in Kharkiv and Chernihiv also resulted in civilian casualties.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 379 drones over 19 regions and Crimea on Saturday alone. The escalation follows internal political tension in Ukraine after the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, which sparked protests in Kyiv.