A massive Ukrainian drone attack struck the Moscow region, causing explosions at a warehouse complex known as “Russia’s Amazon” and an oil depot, resulting in significant smoke clouds visible from afar.
The assault targeted the expansive Wildberries facility in Elektrostal, located 36 miles east of the Kremlin, triggering a large fire that emitted dark smoke into the sky, creating one of the most substantial blazes during the conflict. The inferno could be seen from over 30 miles away, with reports of smog in parts of Moscow.
Additionally, a crucial oil storage hub in Noginsk, also situated east of the capital, erupted in flames following another attack, leading to the evacuation of a nearby maternity hospital.
In a separate incident, seven individuals lost their lives and more than two dozen were injured in a second drone strike on the Wildberries site in Russia’s Tambov region.
Expressing the dire situation, one resident of Moscow remarked, “The sky has turned to night; it feels like we’re doomed,” while another likened the scene to “Armageddon.”
Tatyana Kim, the owner of the Ukrainian-sanctioned Wildberries and Russia’s wealthiest woman with a fortune of £6.1 billion, lamented the tragic events, stating, “It’s a painful night, terrible events for our company and our nation. The sorrow is indescribable.”
Kim further extended condolences to the families and friends of the victims, pledging assistance to those affected by the calamity.
Andrey Vorobyov, the Governor of the Moscow region, disclosed that 48 drones were intercepted over the area overnight, with the most severe impact observed in the Bogorodsky urban district, where a drone crash ignited a fire at the Noginsk oil depot.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin asserted that over 370 Ukrainian drones were launched toward Moscow Oblast, the surrounding area of the Russian capital, in the same timeframe.
As a precaution, a maternity hospital near the incident was evacuated, with all patients and staff relocated to alternative medical facilities, according to Vorobyov.
Specialized care for women was arranged at hospitals in Noginsk, Balashikha, and Shchelkovo, and residents of an apartment building on Radchenko Street were also evacuated.
Eyewitnesses captured footage showing flames and explosions at the Noginsk oil depot, which accommodates 24 storage tanks with a total capacity of 11,500 cubic meters.
Online videos circulated depicting significant black smoke rising above the depot as flames engulfed the location.
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