Ukrainian drones targeted a massive logistics center outside Moscow overnight, leaving it ablaze with dark smoke rising the following morning. The attack on the Wildberries retail warehouse, located approximately 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of the capital, is part of Ukraine's stepped-up strategy to carry the war deep inside Russia.
On Sunday morning, Ukrainian drone crews from the 413th “Raid” Unmanned Systems Regiment were observed preparing and launching approximately 20 small, explosive-laden drones toward Russia from a sunflower field in southern Ukraine. This operation offered a rare glimpse into a rapidly expanding component of Ukraine's war effort.
Kyiv has increased its long-range attacks this year, utilizing missiles and drone swarms to target military industries and energy facilities. The strikes on large retail depots like the Wildberries facility have resulted in billions of dollars worth of merchandise being destroyed. These actions aim to bring the war's consequences directly to the Russian public and potentially pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into peace negotiations, though Putin has shown no indication of ending the conflict.
The regiment's commander, Yevhen Karas, stated that his unit also participated in the overnight strike on the warehouse. He believes that inflicting greater casualties on Russia will accelerate a push for peace. "If we want to get a stable and long period of peace, and normal peace," Karas said, "the bigger casualties they have... the sooner they will go for peace."
Karas, a former philosophy major who volunteered for the front after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, with his brother killed defending the Kyiv region, was appointed commander of the 413th Raid Unmanned Systems Regiment in 2024. The unit evolved from reconnaissance and battlefield tasks to mounting long-range operations using domestically produced FP-1 drones against targets deep within Russia, as drone technology and flight range increased.
The unit's personnel come from diverse backgrounds, including an opera singer, a computer programmer, a rapper, and a cellist. Their operational routine involves preparing, system-checking, positioning, and launching drones, followed by awaiting results and repeating the process. The regiment's medallion features a stylized, three-prong arrow on one side and a depiction of the Kremlin in flames with a drone flying over it on the other.
Karas suggested that Moscow should anticipate nighttime threats from the sky, mirroring the experience of Kyiv residents who have spent years sheltering underground from Russian attacks. Following the launches, soldiers dismantled their equipment and departed, leaving minimal traces of their activity before moving to the next launch site. The expanded reach of these drone attacks has forced Russia's military to deploy air defenses over a wider area, disrupted airport operations, contributed to fuel shortages, and impacted morale within Russia.