Moscow and the Moscow Region came under a massive drone attack on the night of 18 August. Russian sources claim there were hundreds of drones, whilst monitoring organisations report possible strikes on logistics infrastructure, including Wildberries and Ozon warehouses. The exact scale of the attack and its consequences are currently being ascertained.
Moscow and the surrounding region came under attack from UAVs
On the night of 18 August, reports emerged of a large-scale drone attack in Moscow and the Moscow Region. Air defence and electronic warfare systems were deployed in the region.
Russian media outlets report that at least 600 UAVs were allegedly heading towards the Moscow region. However, there is currently no independent confirmation of this exact number of drones.
In various areas of the Moscow Region, local residents reported explosions and air defence activity. According to the Russian side, some of the drones were successfully intercepted.
There have also been reports of debris falling following air defence operations. Details regarding possible casualties and damage are being clarified.
Logistics facilities may have been targeted
Monitoring sources suggest that large logistics and warehousing facilities in the Moscow Region may have been among the targets of the night-time attack.
In particular, there have been reports of a possible attack on the warehouses of online marketplaces Wildberries and Ozon. At this stage, there is no official confirmation that these specific sites have been hit. Therefore, information regarding the specific targets of the attack should be regarded as preliminary.
Air defence systems were in operation in the Moscow region
The Russian authorities traditionally report that drones have been intercepted by air defence forces. At the same time, during such attacks, the danger to populated areas comes not only from the UAVs themselves, but also from the debris of the downed aerial targets.
If reports of strikes on large logistics complexes are confirmed, this could indicate an expansion of the list of targets being attacked by UAVs in the Moscow Region. Definitive conclusions can only be drawn once confirmed data on the consequences of the night-time attack becomes available.
