Moscow hit by 620 Ukrainian drones in largest attack in 2 years
Synopsis
Ukraine launched 620 drones at Moscow on 18 August — the largest single drone assault on the Russian capital in two years, breaking a record set just two days prior. With airports shut, naval infrastructure hit in Novorossiysk, and civilian casualties reported across Belgorod, Luhansk, and Crimea, Ukraine's long-range drone campaign has entered a new phase of scale and simultaneity.
Key Takeaways
620 Ukrainian UAVs targeted Moscow on 18 August — the largest drone assault on the Russian capital in two years .
180 drones were destroyed; no immediate casualties or major damage reported in Moscow, according to Mayor Sergey Sobyanin .
Airports Vnukovo , Zhukovsky , and Domodedovo were temporarily shut; Sheremetyevo operated under partial restrictions.
A 12 August drone strike on Novorossiysk killed 3 and injured 8 ; President Zelensky confirmed the naval base was the target.
Civilian casualties also reported in Belgorod (2 killed, 3 injured), Luhansk (1 child killed, 8 others wounded), and Crimea (1 killed).
Moscow came under its largest Ukrainian drone assault in two years on Tuesday, 18 August, as 620 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were launched toward the Russian capital, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. Of these, 180 drones were intercepted and destroyed, with emergency crews deployed to debris sites. No casualties or major structural damage were immediately confirmed in the capital.
Scale of the Attack
Mayor Sobyanin stated: 'From yesterday evening until 5:00 a.m. today, 620 UAVs were flying toward the Moscow region. Of these, 180 drones were destroyed.' The strike surpassed the previous record set just days earlier — on Sunday night — when approximately 600 UAVs targeted the Moscow region, making this the second mass drone assault on the capital within the same week.
In response to the aerial threat, flight operations at Vnukovo, Zhukovsky, and Domodedovo airports were temporarily suspended, while Sheremetyevo Airport operated under partial restrictions, disrupting air travel in and out of the Russian capital.
Wider Russian Casualties Reported
The Moscow strike was part of a broader pattern of Ukrainian drone operations across Russian territory. On 12 August, a Ukrainian drone strike on Novorossiysk city in the Krasnodar region killed three people and injured eight others, according to Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev. Novorossiysk Mayor Andrei Kravchenko declared a state of emergency after strikes damaged several educational facilities and ruptured two water mains, disrupting water supplies to the city. One main has since been repaired, with work continuing on the second.
Authorities in other Russian regions also reported civilian casualties. In the Belgorod region, two people were killed and three injured in drone strikes over the preceding 24 hours. In the Russia-controlled Luhansk region, one child was killed and a teenager along with seven adults were wounded. In Crimea, one person was killed.
Novorossiysk Naval Base Targeted
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Wednesday that the strike on Novorossiysk had deliberately targeted Russia's naval base in the city — a strategically critical installation for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. According to Zelensky, the strike hit air defence positions, piers, and seaport infrastructure. The Novorossiysk base has long been considered a key logistics and operational hub for Russian naval power in the Black Sea.
What This Signals
This comes amid a sustained escalation in Ukraine's long-range drone campaign against Russian territory. The back-to-back record-breaking strikes on Moscow — 600 UAVs on Sunday and 620 UAVs on Tuesday — suggest a deliberate effort to overwhelm Russian air defences through volume. Notably, despite the scale of Tuesday's assault, Russian authorities reported no immediate casualties in Moscow, indicating that air defence systems intercepted a significant portion of the incoming drones, though 440 reportedly were not destroyed before reaching the region.
With strikes now simultaneously targeting the capital, Black Sea naval assets, and civilian infrastructure across multiple regions, the conflict's aerial dimension is intensifying. How Russia responds — diplomatically or militarily — will be closely watched in the coming days.
Point of View
620 on Tuesday — are not coincidental. Ukraine appears to be stress-testing the limits of Russian air defence through sheer volume, betting that enough drones will penetrate even a layered defence network. The fact that 440 of 620 UAVs on Tuesday were not listed as destroyed raises serious questions about what reached the ground. Meanwhile, the confirmed targeting of Novorossiysk's naval base signals that Ukraine is pursuing strategic military degradation, not just psychological pressure. The confluence of strikes on the capital, naval infrastructure, and civilian zones across Belgorod, Luhansk, and Crimea points to a coordinated, multi-vector escalation — one that Russia's air defence architecture is visibly straining to contain.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow on 18 August?
According to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, 620 Ukrainian UAVs were launched toward the Moscow region between the evening of 17 August and 5:00 a.m. on 18 August. Of these, 180 were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defences.
Was this the largest drone attack on Moscow ever?
It is the largest Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow in two years, surpassing the previous record of approximately 600 UAVs set just two days earlier on Sunday night. Both strikes occurred within the same week, indicating a sharp escalation in Ukraine's aerial campaign.
Were there casualties in the Moscow drone attack?
No casualties or major damage in Moscow were immediately reported following the 18 August attack. However, separate drone strikes across Russia — in Belgorod, Luhansk, and Crimea — killed at least four people and wounded more than a dozen others around the same period.
Which Moscow airports were affected by the drone attack?
Vnukovo, Zhukovsky, and Domodedovo airports temporarily suspended flight operations in response to the drone threat. Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow's busiest, operated under partial restrictions during the incident.
What did Ukraine target in Novorossiysk?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the drone strike on Novorossiysk on 12 August targeted Russia's naval base there, hitting air defence positions, piers, and seaport infrastructure. The Novorossiysk base is a key installation for Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
