Russia says more than 600 drones targeted Moscow region

What the report says

Russian officials said more than 620 drones were launched toward Moscow and the surrounding region overnight into Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in what Al Jazeera described as one of the biggest attacks on the Russian capital in years. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses intercepted drones over the capital region through the night, while state media cited it as the largest drone assault on Moscow in the past two years.

According to the Russian authorities cited by Al Jazeera, at least three people were injured, including a 10-year-old girl. Governor Andrey Vorobyov said the most serious damage was reported in the Pavlovsky Posad district, where a house caught fire, and that additional homes and a guesthouse were damaged in Bogorodsky district. A warehouse near Moscow operated by e-commerce company Wildberries was also hit; the company said its logistics site suffered minor damage after debris struck a wall.

The report comes amid a broader escalation in long-range strikes between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides continuing to target sites far from the front line. Al Jazeera noted that the fighting on the battlefield remains largely static while drone and missile attacks have intensified, increasing civilian harm in both countries. The article also said Ukrainian officials reported shooting down or disrupting most of an overnight Russian drone attack, and described injuries and damage in parts of Ukraine, underscoring the reciprocal nature of the aerial campaign.