A massive Ukrainian drone strike on a Wildberries warehouse complex in Elektrostal, 36 miles east of Moscow, has caused a huge fire, sending plumes of black smoke visible from over 30 miles away and choking parts of the capital with smog. The attack, described as one of the biggest fires of the war, also struck an oil depot in Noginsk, forcing the evacuation of a nearby maternity hospital.
Details of the Attack
Moscow Governor Andrey Vorobyov said 48 drones were shot down over the Moscow area overnight. The “most serious consequences” occurred in the Bogorodsky urban district, where a drone crash sparked a fire at the Noginsk oil depot. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin separately claimed that more than 370 Ukrainian drones were launched towards Moscow Oblast overnight.
At the Wildberries base in Elektrostal, noxious black smoke rose high into the sky, with the blaze visible from more than 30 miles away. Smog was reported in parts of Moscow. A second drone strike on a Wildberries complex in Russia’s Tambov region killed seven people and wounded more than two dozen.
Evacuations and Response
A maternity hospital near the Noginsk oil depot was evacuated as a precaution, with all patients and staff transferred to other medical facilities. Vorobyov stated: “Women requiring specialised care were taken to hospitals in Noginsk, Balashikha and Shchelkovo, while residents of an apartment building on Radchenko Street were also evacuated.”
Vorobyov said 40 ambulance crews and 12 teams from the regional disaster medicine centre were deployed to the Moscow area, while emergency services, police and municipal workers continue clearing the aftermath of the attack.
Impact and Reactions
The oil depot in Noginsk contains 24 storage tanks with a combined capacity of 11,500 cubic metres. It is one of the Moscow region’s key fuel storage and logistics hubs, used by traders and fuel companies to store and transport petroleum products.
Wildberries is Russia’s largest online retailer, with a network of warehouses and fulfilment centres across the country. Owner Tatyana Kim, Russia’s richest woman with a £6.1 billion fortune, said: “A terrible night, terrible events for our company and our country. It’s a pain that cannot be expressed in words. I offer my condolences to the families and friends of those who died, and we will definitely help their families. We will provide all necessary support to those affected.”
Muscovites described the scene: “The sky has turned to night, it feels like we’re doomed,” said one. “It’s like a scene from Armageddon,” said another.
