Ukrainian drone attacks resulted in at least five fatalities across Russia, also striking industrial sites and a warehouse belonging to the e-commerce giant Wildberries, according to local officials. These incidents are part of an ongoing aerial campaign by Kyiv aimed at undermining Russia's war effort, impacting its economy and making citizens aware of the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine.
In under two weeks, Ukraine has targeted over a dozen Wildberries depots. Wildberries, described as Russia's equivalent to Amazon, is the country's largest online marketplace.
One drone strike hit a Wildberries warehouse in the Samara region, approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Russian-Ukrainian border. Local Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev reported a fire at the site but stated there were no casualties. Earlier strikes on July 18 impacted the company's facilities in Elektrostal, near Moscow, and in the Tambov region, with subsequent attacks on sites in western and southern Russia, and Russian-held Crimea. These previous attacks have resulted in at least nine deaths and numerous injuries.
In the Saratov region, east of Samara, a Ukrainian drone strike on a residential building killed two people, according to Governor Roman Busargin. The attacks also damaged civil infrastructure in Engels, where the deaths occurred, and the regional capital, Saratov. Both cities have been frequent targets, with Engels hosting a military airbase and Saratov being home to a large oil refinery.
Further north, in Russia's Bashkortostan region, Governor Radiy Khabirov reported that air defenses repelled a large-scale drone strike on industrial facilities in the city of Ufa. He noted that a blaze was being extinguished but did not specify the exact target.
In the Udmurt Republic, three civilians died and two were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike, according to acting regional head Olga Abramova. Abramova also stated that air defenses had shot down two Ukrainian drones, preventing a further attack, and that a civilian car was damaged.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down 635 Ukrainian drones overnight, including over occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov Seas. The ministry did not provide details on the number of drones launched or those that successfully struck targets.
Russia also launched attacks on Ukraine. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia attacked with 133 drones overnight, with 24 hitting targets. In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian guided bomb struck a residential building on Sunday, killing one person, according to local administration head Ivan Fedorov. Another Russian attack on the outskirts of Kharkiv killed one person and set fire to a postal terminal, stated regional administration head Oleh Syniehubov.