UKRAINE LAUNCHES MASSIVE MOSCOW-REGION DRONE ATTACK

Developing story: Interception figures, damage assessments, power outages and Ukrainian statements may change as regional authorities update their reports.

Ukraine launched a massive overnight drone attack on the Moscow region, with Moscow’s mayor saying 620 drones targeted the capital and surrounding areas in one of Kyiv’s largest air assaults of the war. Reuters reported that Russia said it downed 180 drones over the Moscow region and that a drone hit a Wildberries warehouse, causing minor damage.

The scale of the attack matters even if Russian interception claims cannot be independently verified in full. A drone wave of that size forces Russia to protect airspace, logistics hubs, warehouses, energy assets, roads, airports and civilian areas around its most politically important region. It also shows how Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign has moved from isolated raids to mass operations.

The reported warehouse strike is commercially and symbolically significant. Logistics facilities can support civilian commerce, military supply chains or both, and damage to a major warehouse creates visible disruption near the capital. Russia has described such strikes as terrorism, while Ukraine argues it is targeting infrastructure that helps sustain Moscow’s war effort.

Crimea also reported heavy drone attacks and power outages, according to Reuters. Russian-occupied Crimea remains one of the most sensitive theaters in the war because it serves as a military hub, logistics corridor and political symbol for Moscow. Power disruptions there can affect both civilian life and military operations.

The Moscow attack occurred the same day a Russian missile strike killed 10 people in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Together, the incidents underline the escalation pattern: Ukraine is extending pressure deeper into Russia, while Russia continues to strike Ukrainian towns, energy systems and industrial sites.

Ukraine’s long-range campaign is intended to stretch Russian air defenses and raise the cost of the invasion. By forcing Russia to defend distant regions, Kyiv can pressure Moscow to choose between protecting the front, the capital, occupied Crimea, refineries and logistics hubs.

The risks are also clear. Large drone attacks can cause civilian casualties, fires and infrastructure damage outside military zones. They can also provoke broader Russian retaliation and increase the chance that drones or debris cross into neighboring countries, as recent incidents in Romania have shown.

What is confirmed is that Russian officials reported a major Ukrainian drone wave targeting the Moscow region, with interceptions and limited damage reported. What remains unresolved is how many drones reached their targets, the full scope of damage in Moscow and Crimea, and whether Ukraine will sustain attacks at this scale.

Fact-check date: August 18, 2026. Article type: News. Sources: Reuters. Developing note: Interception figures, damage assessments, power outages and Ukrainian statements may change as regional authorities update their reports.