Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia kill at least 8, wound dozens

A series of Ukrainian drone strikes across western Russia on Saturday resulted in significant casualties and damage, according to regional governors and Ukrainian officials. In Tambov's Kotovsk district, an attack on a Wildberries logistics facility killed seven night-shift workers and wounded 25 others, with most injuries caused by shrapnel. The regional governor reported that 28 drones were intercepted before reaching their targets. A second strike hit another Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal near Moscow, killing at least one person and injuring 37 more. An additional drone attack ignited a fire at an oil depot in Noginsk, wounding two people. According to Al Jazeera's Moscow correspondent, the casualty toll represented the highest from Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory in three years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the targeted Wildberries facilities as significant logistics hubs supplying sanctioned components for drone and navigation equipment production. Ukraine also reported successful strikes against targets in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea regions. The attacks reflect Ukraine's broader strategy to disrupt Russia's military supply chains and energy infrastructure as the conflict enters its fifth year. The exchange of strikes occurred amid political upheaval in Ukraine, following Zelenskyy's abrupt dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had led the expansion of Ukraine's drone capabilities and AI-driven weapons systems.