Ukraine drone strikes kill 8 workers in Russian warehouse fire
Eight people have been killed in a series of Ukrainian drone strikes in the Moscow and Tambov regions of Russia. The strikes set several large warehouses ablaze and left the sky covered in thick black smoke for hours. Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian territory in recent months. Kiev says the strikes are in response to Russia’s long-running aggression.
Ukraine has described the operation as a “long-range blockade.” It has previously targeted Russian oil infrastructure, causing a fuel shortage in one of the world’s largest oil producers. Now, Ukraine has struck two key warehouses of Russia’s largest online retailer Wildberries. Eight workers working the night shift were killed and the warehouses were almost completely destroyed.
Tatyana Kim, CEO of Wildberries, said, “This is a terrible night for our company and our country. The pain is beyond words.”
Smoke and damage in Moscow
Dense black smoke was seen in the sky over Moscow on Saturday morning (July 18), which was reported to have persisted until the afternoon. Yevgeny Parvisov, governor of the Tambov region, about 500 kilometers southeast of Moscow, said that seven night shift workers at a logistics center in Wildberries were killed in an enemy drone strike.
Regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said that an oil depot and another warehouse in Wildberries in the Moscow region were also damaged. He said one person died while receiving treatment in hospital.
Local authorities said that firefighting operations were underway in the Elektrostal area of the Moscow region. The fire in the Tambov region was later brought under control. An empty kindergarten in Elektrostal was also damaged, but no one was injured. Authorities said about 60 people were injured and hospitalized in the attacks in the two regions. Hundreds of drone attacks in Moscow
The mayor of the Russian capital, Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, said that more than 370 drones were sent towards the Moscow region overnight. He added that some 1,892 Ukrainian drones flying towards Moscow from July 11 to July 18 were intercepted.
