Ukraine launches its biggest attack of 2026, Russia strikes Zelenskyy's hometown

As Russia's war in Ukraine drags on, the two sides are widening their battle with airstrikes deep inside their territory. On Sunday, Ukraine unleashed one of its biggest drone barrages against Russia since the war began. Russia's Defence Ministry said 822 Ukrainian drones were shot down or neutralised across the country. The attacks were reported across 17 regions, with much of the activity concentrated in southern and western Russia. At least six people were killed in the attacks.

Read Full Story

The Moscow region was among the main targets, with regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov saying Russian forces intercepted 187 drones over the area. One of the most prominent targets was a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. Videos reviewed by Reuters showed a huge plume of smoke rising from the company's Koledino warehouse, about 45 kilometres south of Moscow. The facility covers about 250,000 square metres and was among the major logistics centres operated by the company.

BREAKING: A massive fire has engulfed the entire Wildberries logistics hub in Koledino, Moscow Oblast, following tonight’s drone attack.

The 250,000 m complex was one

of Wildberries’ two largest warehouses. The other, in Elektrostal, was destroyed in a strike in July, pic.twitter.com/Tt5So1seLa— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) August 16, 2026

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Wildberries facilities in recent months, accusing the retailer of handling supplies for Russia's military. Kyiv says it has hit seven of the company's 10 largest logistics centres as part of a more extensive campaign against infrastructure supporting Moscow's war effort.

RUSSIA REPORTS ATTACKS ACROSS 17 REGIONS

The Russian Defence Ministry said drones were intercepted over 17 regions, particularly in the south and west of the country. In the Rostov region, five people were killed, according to regional Governor Yuri Slyusar. Ukrainian officials said a facility involved in producing solid rocket propellant for Russian weapons was among the targets. Wildberries warehouse in Moscow region on fire after Ukrainian drone attack. (Photo: Reuters)

Ukraine's military said the strike hit a defence-industrial complex enterprise involved in producing propellant used for various Russian weapons. Moscow did not immediately comment on the Ukrainian claim.

Another person was reported killed in a drone strike on a bus near Belgorod, according to the regional governor. Belgorod lies close to the Ukrainian border and has repeatedly come under attack during the war.

This is part of Ukraine's intensified efforts to disrupt Russia's military production, fuel supplies and logistics networks. Kyiv has increasingly used long-range drones to hit refineries, industrial plants, warehouses and other infrastructure far from the front line.

RUSSIA CONTINUES HEAVY STRIKES ON UKRAINE

Even as Ukraine mounted the large-scale drone assault, Russia continued its attacks across Ukrainian territory. Russian forces struck the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown, hitting the country's largest steel plant operated by ArcelorMittal. At least two people were killed and 14 injured, Ukrainian officials said. The company said key facilities linked to power generation and blast furnace operations were damaged, forcing parts of the plant's production process to stop. A firefighter works to extinguish a fire at the site of a book market hit by a Russian missile strike. (Photo: Reuters)

"As a result of the attack, key production facilities in the power generation and blast furnace sectors have been damaged, and the plant's production processes have been partially halted," ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih said.

Other strikes were reported in Kremenchuk and Sumy. Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs and 62 missiles against Ukraine over the previous week.

"European interceptors cannot simply be allowed to sit in storage. Lives need to be protected. Russia must be stopped," Zelenskyy said, again pressing European allies to provide more air-defence equipment. Firefighters work at a site of a book market hit by a Russian missile strike. (Photo: Reuters)

advertisement

RUSSIAN DRONE SHOT DOWN OVER ROMANIA

The widening aerial conflict also spilled into neighbouring Romania, where the Defence Ministry said an F-18 fighter jet assigned to a Spanish Nato air-policing mission shot down a drone after it entered Romanian airspace.

The incident occurred at about 5:01 am (local time), according to Romanian authorities. The drone entered from neighbouring Moldova, and fragments from the destroyed aircraft appeared to have fallen in an uninhabited area between two villages. Romania did not initially identify the drone's origin, while a Nato spokesperson said it appeared to be Russian.

It was the fourth time this year that a drone had been shot down over Romanian territory. The country, which borders Ukraine, has repeatedly reported drone incursions linked to the wider conflict.

WAR SHOWS NO SIGN OF EASING

The latest flare-up is pushing the war into a more dangerous phase, with Moscow and Kyiv expanding their aerial campaigns in both scale and reach. The conflict is no longer confined to the battlefield. Its impact is increasingly being felt across the economic and industrial centres that keep the war machine running.

advertisement

Russia continues to rely on missiles, drones and guided bombs to strike Ukrainian cities and industrial facilities. Ukraine, meanwhile, is using long-range drones to carry the fight deep into Russian territory, targeting infrastructure it says supports Moscow's military campaign.

- Ends

With inputs from agencies