Ukrainian Drone Strikes Kill Eight, Injure Over 60 Across Russian Regions

MOSCOW: At least eight people were killed and more than 60 others injured in a wave of overnight Ukrainian drone attacks across several Russian regions, Russian officials said on Saturday, as Kyiv intensified its long-range campaign targeting infrastructure linked to Moscow’s military operations.

According to Russian authorities, the deadliest strike occurred in the town of Kotovsk in the Tambov region, where drones hit warehouses, killing seven night-shift workers and injuring 25 others. Another person was killed in a separate attack, while additional casualties were reported across multiple regions.

The attacks also caused extensive damage to infrastructure. Warehouses belonging to Russia’s major online retailer Wildberries caught fire in Kotovsk and Elektrostal near Moscow, while drone debris damaged a kindergarten building in Elektrostal. An oil depot in Noginsk was also struck, prompting local evacuations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes targeted facilities involved in the production and transportation of military equipment, including drones and navigation systems, as part of Kyiv’s strategy to weaken Russia’s war capabilities. Ukrainian military officials also reported attacks on fuel storage facilities, military logistics vessels in the Black and Azov seas, a Russian patrol ship, and a strategically important railway bridge in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted 379 Ukrainian drones over 19 Russian regions, as well as over Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

The latest strikes underscore Ukraine’s growing reliance on long-range drones to carry the conflict deep into Russian territory. Kyiv says such operations are intended to disrupt military logistics, damage energy infrastructure supporting the war effort, and demonstrate that Russia is not immune from the consequences of its full-scale invasion, now in its fifth year.

The escalation comes as both sides continue to exchange large-scale aerial attacks, with no immediate prospects for a ceasefire despite ongoing international diplomatic efforts.