Kathmandu [Nepal], August 19 – Ukraine launched nearly 800 drones toward Russia overnight one of its largest aerial attacks since Moscow began its full-scale invasion Russian officials said Tuesday, as the two sides intensified long-range strikes.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 791 Ukrainian drones across several Russian regions annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. The attack was described as the second-largest since January 2025, according to an Associated Press tally.
More than 600 drones targeted the Moscow region with 180 intercepted, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Three people were wounded in the region while another three were injured in the neighbouring Ryazan region where three private homes were damaged.
The attack also sparked a fire at a warehouse belonging to Wildberries Russia’s largest online retailer. The company said the facility suffered insignificant damage. Russian state media gave limited coverage to the strikes.
The Ukrainian attack came as Russian forces launched a missile strike on Pechenihy village in the northeastern Kharkiv region killing at least 10 people and wounding 17 according to regional officials. The strike damaged homes, a cafe, a post office, a store and vehicles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike brutal and vowed a response.
The latest attacks highlight an escalating aerial campaign as neither side makes major battlefield gains along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line.
Ukraine has increasingly developed long-range drones capable of striking deep inside Russia aiming to pressure President Vladimir Putin into negotiations.
Britain meanwhile reaffirmed military support for Kyiv after Moscow warned London of unspecified consequences over reported use of British-made drones in attacks on Russian territory.
