Ukrainian Drones Strike Oil Depot in Moscow Region and Logistics Hubs

A series of drone strikes early Saturday morning, July 18, targeted Russian fuel and logistics infrastructure, causing fires at an oil depot in the Moscow region and two logistics complexes belonging to the Wildberries marketplace.

Strike on Wildberries logistics hub

In the Tambov region, according to ASTRA and Exilenova+ Telegram channels, a drone attack sparked a fire at a Wildberries & Russ logistics complex located in the Kotovsk Industrial Park. The facility began operations in 2025.

Local authorities in the Tambov region reported that seven Wildberries employees were killed as a result of the strike in Kotovsk.

A second Wildberries warehouse caught fire in Elektrostal, located 50 kilometers from Moscow. According to Exilenova+, this facility is the company’s second-largest logistics object by order processing volume. OSINT analysts from the Astra project confirmed the fire through open-source data.

Noginsk oil depot fire

Also in the Moscow region, a drone strike caused a fire at the Noginsk oil depot. According to ASTRA Telegram channel, video footage published by eyewitnesses on the morning of July 18 confirmed explosions and a subsequent fire at the facility.

The Noginsk depot operates as an independent fuel market operator, storing and transferring light petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and kerosene.

The site contains 24 reservoirs with a total capacity of 11,500 cubic meters. It serves as a logistics node for traders and fuel companies in the Moscow region, with its infrastructure used by fuel suppliers to store and ship their products.

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Coordinated strikes in occupied Crimea

Concurrently, explosions were reported across multiple areas of Russian-occupied Crimea early Saturday.

The Krymsky Veter monitoring channel reported over 20 explosions near the Gvardeyskoye military airfield, as well as blasts in Sevastopol, Feodosia, and Kerch. Reports indicated the Balaklava Thermal Power Plant may have been targeted. Footage published by the channel showed Russian mobile fire groups attempting to shoot down incoming drones.

The Gvardeyskoye airfield was previously targeted on July 5 as part of operations against military facilities in Crimea.

Ongoing campaign against Russian fuel infrastructure

These incidents follow strikes earlier in the week targeting Russia’s domestic fuel production. On July 14, Ukrainian forces struck the Gazpromneftekhim Salavat complex in the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the strikes, stating they targeted facilities producing fuel and lubricants used to support the Russian military and economy.

At the time, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 288 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions.