Ukrainian drone strikes kill seven at Russian warehouse, spark oil depot blaze
- Seven people were killed and over 50 wounded in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian regions, officials said.
- Warehouse workers were among the dead in one of the deadliest Ukrainian strikes inside Russia in two years.
- A fire broke out at an oil depot in the Moscow region after drone debris fell on the facility.
- Russian authorities said they shot down multiple drones, but some hit civilian and industrial targets.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory killed at least seven warehouse workers and wounded dozens of others on Saturday, in one of the deadliest cross-border strikes in nearly two years. A fire also erupted at an oil depot in the Moscow region after drone debris fell on the facility, officials said.
Warehouse workers among the dead
The strikes hit a cluster of warehouses used by online retailers in the city of Yelnya, Smolensk region. Seven workers were killed when drones struck the buildings, according to regional governor Vasily Anokhin. More than 50 people were wounded across several regions, with local hospitals treating casualties with shrapnel and burn injuries.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the attacks. The strikes mark a significant escalation in Ukraine's ability to hit targets deep inside Russia, and come as both sides prepare for a harsh winter campaign.
Oil depot fire in Moscow region
In a separate attack, drone debris sparked a large fire at an oil storage facility in the Moscow region, about 100 kilometres from the Kremlin. Emergency services said the blaze was contained to one tank and did not spread to nearby residential areas. Thick black smoke could be seen rising from the site for several hours.
Russian air defence units said they intercepted and destroyed over 30 drones across four regions overnight. Fragments from one of the downed drones fell onto the oil depot, causing the fire. No casualties were reported at the depot.
Deadliest strikes in two years
The attacks are the deadliest Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian soil since July 2024, when a similar wave of attacks killed 10 people in the Krasnodar region. Saturday's strikes also wounded at least 18 people in the Rostov and Tula regions, where residential buildings and a power substation were damaged.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to comment on the attacks. The defence ministry said the strikes were an attempt to destabilise civilian life ahead of regional elections scheduled for September. Ukraine has repeatedly said it targets only military infrastructure, but Saturday's strikes hit civilian warehouses and an oil depot.
Wider context of the war
The attacks come amid a renewed Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region, where Kyiv's forces have made small but steady gains. Russia has retaliated with heavy aerial bombardments of Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 15 civilians in the past 48 hours.
Western officials have warned that both sides are likely to intensify long-range strikes as winter approaches. Ukraine has developed a new generation of long-range drones capable of hitting targets up to 1,500 kilometres inside Russia. Moscow has accused Kyiv of using Western-supplied technology in the attacks, a charge Ukraine denies.
Saturday's strikes also raised questions about the effectiveness of Russia's air defence network. Despite claiming to shoot down most incoming drones, some still reached their targets. Analysts say the sheer volume of drones Ukraine launches can overwhelm even layered defences.
What to watch
Russia is likely to retaliate with another wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the coming days. The Kremlin may also tighten domestic security measures, particularly around oil and gas facilities. The attacks could further complicate any potential ceasefire talks, which have stalled since mid-2025.