Ukraine has intensified its use of deep strike drone attacks, extending the conflict into Russian territory with increasing reach and impact. On August 7, Kyiv targeted a logistics hub for Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, in Yekaterinburg—more than 1,200 miles from the Ukrainian border—marking a significant escalation in Ukraine’s campaign.
Over the past week, Ukraine has also struck two major oil refineries, Bashneft-Novoil and Slavneft-Yanos, temporarily reducing Russia’s oil refining capacity by more than a third at the campaign’s peak. In addition, Ukraine has targeted shipping in the Azov Sea, destroying or damaging some 236 vessels in July alone and sharply curtailing commercial traffic on this vital route by approximately 75 percent.
The focus on Wildberries has emerged more recently, with attacks damaging or destroying about 20 percent of the retailer’s storage capacity. Wildberries accounts for roughly 10 percent of Russia’s retail turnover, and many of the goods targeted in warehouses belonged to a wide range of sellers, from small entrepreneurs to large companies. The economic consequences are substantial, with estimated damages exceeding 280 billion roubles (approximately £2.5 billion). The Russian government may need to intervene with financial support to the company, and the disruption is expected to contribute to inflationary pressure.
Despite these setbacks, experts caution that Ukraine’s drone strikes have not yet crippled the Russian economy. Elevated oil and gas revenues stemming from global energy market conditions have helped stabilize Russia’s finances after an initial drop. Wildberries has announced limited compensation plans for affected sellers and is working to relocate stock to warehouses in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, damage to refineries has been partially repaired, and fuel shortages in Russia are now diminishing.
Ukraine’s deep strike campaign is constrained by limited drone and missile supplies, necessitating strategic choices about targets. Redirecting resources to attack Wildberries, for instance, has permitted Russian facilities elsewhere to recover. Nonetheless, the campaign’s political impact inside Russia has been pronounced. Polls indicate declining public confidence in the war effort: the proportion of Russians convinced the conflict is progressing well has fallen to 50 percent, from 69 percent a year earlier. President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has also slipped to 74 percent, the lowest since the war began in February 2022.
At the same time, public sentiment is divided. While many Russians favor negotiations and a freeze to hostilities, there is growing anger directed at Ukraine for increasing Russian civilian casualties. Moscow reported 250 civilian deaths and 1,596 injuries in the first half of 2026—more than double the previous year—citing incidents such as a drone strike on a bus in Belgorod region and the deaths of civilians in southern Russia due to downed drones. Russian media have emphasized these casualties to portray Russia as the victim, bolstering hawkish voices calling for escalation rather than de-escalation.
In response, Russia has targeted Ukrainian logistics hubs in retaliation, repeatedly striking the Greater Odesa port cluster, a critical export point for grain and metals. These retaliatory attacks have suspended most shipping through the Black Sea, costing Kyiv more than £50 million daily. Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure may intensify again in winter, as Ukraine’s stockpile of Patriot missiles for air defense has been largely exhausted.
The impact of Ukraine’s deep strikes is also felt within Russia’s political establishment. Influential voices such as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin have argued against full-scale mobilization, warning it could devastate the civilian economy and the country itself. Nevertheless, some analysts suggest Putin may seek greater license for troop mobilization and broader escalation in the coming months.
Ukraine’s drone forces operate as part of a wider multi-agency effort involving the military, intelligence services, and security agencies. Deep strike units employ sophisticated tactics and aerial coordination to conduct long-range attacks. One unit commander described the operation as a “symphony orchestra,” wherein each component plays a critical role. Drones used in these operations are produced domestically and are equipped with jet engines and 60-kilogram warheads, with a unit cost of approximately £40,000—far less expensive than interceptor missiles used against them.
These drone missions require complex coordination, with control of each drone passed among multiple pilots stationed in different Ukrainian locations to evade Russian defenses. The units often relocate after launches to avoid counterattacks, as Russian forces prioritize targeting deep strike teams.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for increased support from European and NATO allies to expand the drone campaign, emphasizing the drones’ dual role in offensive strikes and defending Ukrainian territory by targeting Russian missile launchers preemptively.
While Ukraine’s drone strikes are successfully disrupting Russian logistics and damaging symbolic economic targets, they also carry the risk of provoking further Russian retaliation and escalation. The evolving campaign underlines the complexities and risks of a conflict increasingly defined by advanced unmanned warfare deep inside enemy territory.