As the war in Ukraine continues to escalate, Ukraine launched another large-scale drone attack against Moscow. The attack, according to some sources, utilized around 400 attack drones and hit another major oil refinery and a warehouse belonging to a major online retailer, Wildberries. Additionally, Ukraine carried out attacks against other targets across Russia, including Engels air base, where a Tu-95 strategic bomber was struck and likely destroyed. Less than 24 hours later, however, Russia responded with one of its largest missile attacks against Kyiv since the start of the war. Both sides continue their slugging match as the war in Ukraine ramps up in violence.
Another Massive Attack Against Moscow
Tu-95 Infographic from Russia Government.
From July 17-18, Moscow once again came under attack after Ukraine launched 400 drones targeting the capital region. According to the city mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, 370 were heading toward the Moscow region, with most intercepted along the way and 64 more intercepted by air defenses on their approach to the city. The attack, however, managed to hit two warehouses belonging to the company Wildberries.
For those who don’t know, Wildberries is an online retailer similar to Amazon. The attack hit a major warehouse in Elektrostal, causing a fire that burned down the rest of the warehouse. According to initial reports, seven workers were killed, with several dozen more injured by the strikes and the resulting fire. According to Ukraine, the warehouse was used to store FPV drones that would eventually be shipped to the front lines.
Ukrainian drones also managed to strike an oil depot in Noginsk in the Moscow region. Other attacks were also carried out against oil depots and a fuel refinery in Russia’s southern Stavropol region. President Zelensky also claimed that three more tankers that were part of Russia’s shadow fleet were hit in the Sea of Azov, though these claims have yet to be verified.
More importantly, Ukraine managed to carry out a successful strike against Engels-2 air base, which, for some reason, received less media attention than the strike on the Wildberries warehouse. According to satellite imagery, one Tu-95 was struck (the other bomber stationed at the base was in the air during the attack), with its back tail completely detached from the main frame, making it the most militarily significant strike of the night.
Trying to Force Moscow to Capitulate
The recent attacks against Russian oil refineries, military bases, and naval vessels in the Sea of Azov have all been part of a broader operation to pressure the Kremlin into capitulating.
On June 25, President Zelensky announced on social media that Ukraine’s SBU had launched an influence operation to pressure Russia to end the war. “I approved a 40-day influence operation for the Service against the aggressor state aimed at compelling it to end the war,” Zelensky wrote. Against this backdrop, Ukraine has been ramping up its drone strikes against targets deep behind Russian territory. Just a few weeks ago, Russia’s FSB announced that a large-scale smuggling operation that had been launching drones on Russian soil was thwarted.
In 2026, the effects of Ukraine’s mid-to-long-range campaign have been becoming more apparent. Following the attacks on Russian fuel refineries, the country has been experiencing an ongoing fuel shortage, which has made life more difficult for motorists across Russia. This has caused Moscow to cease all exports of refined gasoline and jet fuel to compensate for the domestic shortage. Although the Kremlin has taken some measures to restore domestic refining capacity, repeated attacks from Ukraine threaten to hinder these efforts and exacerbate the fuel crisis. To make matters worse, attacks on Russia-bound ships in the Sea of Azov have further threatened a valuable waterway for Russian maritime trade.
Escalating too Quickly?
Unfortunately, Ukraine’s efforts to pressure Moscow into a peace deal seem to have had the opposite effect. While images of the burning Wildberries warehouse were circulating, Russia carried out one of its largest missile attacks against Kyiv since the start of the War.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, more than 40 ballistic missiles and 120 attack drones were utilized in the attack, which struck industrial sites and logistics warehouses in the capital region. Despite small deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles, Ukrainian air defenses were only able to intercept a few of the incoming ballistic missiles.
At the same time, Russian missiles and drones also struck Odesa, with port infrastructure and cargo ships in the Black Sea being struck.
Despite the damage that Ukrainian attacks have done to the Russian economy, its long-range attacks have thus far been a double-edged sword for Zelensky. Kyiv’s drone attacks have provided a valuable propaganda and morale boost for the country, but they have also given Moscow an excuse to escalate the conflict.
Despite Ukraine’s confident posture and that of the West, not everything seems to be going well under the hood. With the recent dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as Defense Minister, there has been widespread public opposition and calls for Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to resign.
While it is difficult to say anything definitive from these developments, they are an interesting contrast to the optimistic reports that emerge every time a Russian refinery is struck.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
