Mass Ukrainian drone strike hits Moscow region, blacking out thousands
The Moscow region faced one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks since the start of the war, overnight from August 17 to August 18. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 637 Ukrainian drones were launched toward the Russian capital, with at least 180 shot down.
Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov stated that over 150 drones were intercepted across several districts, including Bogorodsk, Ramenskoe, Pavlovsky Posad, Kolomna, and Elektrostal.
Damage and civilian casualties
In Pavlovsky Posad, a drone strike ignited the roof of an apartment building, forcing residents to evacuate. No casualties were reported in that specific incident, according to Vorobyov.
However, in the Ramenskoe district, a drone hit a private home, injuring a 10-year-old girl. Two other civilians sustained injuries from falling debris in Kolomna and Bogorodsk.
Impact on commerce and infrastructure
A drone strike targeted a Wildberries warehouse in Bogorodsk, triggering a fire. Company officials stated staff were evacuated immediately, the fire was promptly extinguished, and inventory remained undamaged.
In Kolomna, a commercial pavilion caught fire near the Globus shopping center. The strike also damaged the local civil registry office, a shop, and residential windows on Sovetskaya Square.
In Kotelniki, scaffolding and insulation materials caught fire at a residential construction site. Meanwhile, Elektrostal reported damage to a vehicle and a power transformer substation.
In the village of Kuznetsy, a private home burned to the ground. Two private homes were damaged in the "Albatros" allotment estate in Bogorodsk, and a guesthouse caught fire in Noginsk.
Power grid disruptions
Mosoblenergo representatives reported severe damage to power grid equipment, leaving 109 transformer substations offline.
The blackout affected over 5,000 consumers and 46 social facilities across the Likino-Dulyovo and Orekhovo-Zuyevo districts. Power utility crews pledged to restore electricity within two hours.
Unprecedented scale of attacks
"The repulse of the drone attack continues. All emergency and operational services are working in enhanced mode," Governor Vorobyov added.
The barrage follows a previous record on August 16, when Sobyanin reported 600 drones heading toward Moscow, with 201 shot down over the capital region. Prior to this wave, the largest strike occurred on July 18, when air defenses intercepted 194 drones.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, air defense forces intercepted and destroyed a total of 791 Ukrainian drones overnight across 15 Russian regions and occupied Crimea.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
