"600 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) headed towards the Moscow region on the night of 15/8 and early morning of 16/8. Of these, 201 were shot down over Moscow province's airspace. Emergency services are working in areas where debris fell," Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated.

Moscow Governor Andrey Vorobyov described this as "one of the largest drone attacks in recent times." TASS news agency also assessed this as Ukraine's largest drone attack on Moscow since 3/2025.

There were no indications that Ukrainian UAVs reached Moscow's airspace.

The attack caused a fire at a warehouse owned by Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, located in Podolsk, about 45 km from Moscow. Governor Vorobyov stated that an 83-year-old man in Podolsk was killed and 6 people were injured.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces shot down 822 Ukrainian UAVs across various regions within 12 hours, from 20h on 15/8 to 8h today.

Ukrainian officials have not commented on the information.

Since mid-July, Ukraine has attacked about 20 Wildberries warehouses and infrastructure, alleging they store and supply components for unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), guidance systems, and other equipment for the Russian military.

Russian officials and Wildberries representatives denied the claims, accusing Ukraine of "attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure" in these incidents.

A Wildberries warehouse in Podolsk caught fire after the drone attack on 16/8. Photo: *Reuters*

In late June, Ukraine launched a "40-day pressure" offensive campaign, primarily targeting oil refineries, fuel depots, logistics centers, airports, and other sites deep within Russian territory and areas under its control. During this period, Ukrainian forces also attacked numerous Russian commercial vessels and logistics vehicles in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.

Analysts believe Kyiv achieved some tactical successes but failed to meet the campaign's ultimate goal of pressuring Moscow to end hostilities. Conversely, Russia intensified its retaliation with missile and drone strikes targeting defense facilities that produce UAVs for Ukraine's operations.

The Russian military also attacked numerous cargo ships suspected of transporting weapons and military supplies for the adversary in the Black Sea, as well as striking port infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv provinces. Ukrainian media described these actions as having completely blockaded seaports, impacting export activities and causing "the most severe economic problems" for Kyiv.

Ngoc Anh (According to TASS, AFP, Reuters)