Ukrainian drone strikes reportedly caused a fire at a Wildberries warehouse in Kotovsk and triggered air defense activity in Tambov.
Key facts
- •A warehouse for the retailer Wildberries and several cars were reportedly damaged in Kotovsk.
- •Russian air defenses were reported active in Tambov during the overnight attack on July 18.
- •Ukrainian forces struck 12 vessels in the Black Sea on July 17, according to commander Robert Brovdi.
- •Fires were reported at the Kerch railway station in Crimea following a large-scale attack.
- •Explosions were also reported in the Crimean locations of Koktebel and Feodosia.
Ukrainian drones targeted the town of Kotovsk and the city of Tambov in Russia's Tambov Oblast overnight on July 18, 2026. Reports indicate that Russian air defenses were engaged in Tambov, while a warehouse belonging to the online retailer Wildberries was set ablaze in Kotovsk.
Damage in Kotovsk and Tambov
Monitoring channels reported that explosions were heard in Kotovsk, where the fire at the Wildberries warehouse also damaged several cars. In the city of Tambov, Telegram news channel Exilenova Plus reported that Russian air defenses were active during the drone attack. The Kyiv Independent noted that these reports could not be immediately verified.
Recent strikes on Russian vessels and Crimea
Separately, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, reported that Ukrainian forces struck 12 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea on July 17. The fleet included nine dry cargo ships, one oil tanker, one gas carrier, and one tugboat. Additionally, Ukraine launched a large-scale attack on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, resulting in fires at the Kerch railway station and reports of explosions in Koktebel and Feodosia.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Kyiv Independent.
