Ukraine launches its biggest-ever drone attack on Russia:6 killed, warehouse near Moscow catches fire; Kremlin says it shot down 1,400 drones

Ukraine launched its biggest drone attack on Russia since the start of the war on Sunday, killing at least six people. The attacks also sparked a fire at the distribution centre of Russian e-commerce company Wildberries near Moscow. The warehouse, spread across around 200,000 square metres, was largely engulfed in flames, with images showing thick black smoke rising high into the sky. Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had shot down nine Ukrainian cruise missiles and a total of 1,478 drones over the past 24 hours. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said around 600 drones had been launched towards the capital, calling it the biggest aerial attack on Moscow in the past two years. Ukraine expands strike range to 1,500 miles Ukraine has rapidly expanded its long-range drone and missile capabilities in 2026. It can now target locations up to around 1,500 miles inside Russia. Ukraine is using these weapons to strike Russian warehouses, oil refineries, ports and military bases. For the first time in the war, this is posing a major challenge to Russia’s ability to carry out long-range strikes. The air defence systems of both countries are also facing increasing pressure. Why are Wildberries facilities being targeted? Over the past month, Ukraine has targeted several buildings and facilities linked to Wildberries. The company plays a major role in Russia’s online commerce sector, with distribution centres spread across the country. Around 20 warehouses and other buildings are reportedly among the facilities targeted in Ukrainian strikes. Such attacks are believed to be aimed at increasing pressure on Russia’s supply chain and economy. Russian strikes kill 7 in Ukraine Meanwhile, Russia also carried out drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, killing at least seven people. Two people were killed in Ukraine’s Sumy border region, while three others were reported dead in other parts of the country. Kyiv was hit by a ballistic missile at around 3 am on Sunday. Six people were injured, and fires broke out at several locations across the capital. A large part of the Petrovka Book Market in Kyiv’s Obolonskyi district was destroyed by fire. Shopkeepers said their entire stock of books was destroyed. Zelenskyy says Russia is targeting civilian areas Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised emergency service workers and accused Russia of targeting civilian areas and infrastructure. Zelenskyy said Russia was attacking civilian infrastructure in areas within the range of its ballistic missiles. According to him, over the past week, Russia has launched more than 1,550 drones, around 1,560 guided bombs and 62 missiles at Ukrainian cities and other areas, many of them ballistic missiles. Ballistic missiles a major challenge for Ukraine Ukraine has been largely successful in intercepting slow-moving drones. However, stopping fast-moving ballistic missiles remains a major challenge. The US-made Patriot air defence system plays a key role in intercepting such missiles. However, continued Russian attacks have left Ukraine with limited stocks of these interceptor missiles. ​