MOSCOW/KYIV – Drones hit the logistics center of one of Russia's largest marketplaces Wildberries in Tambov Region's Kotovsk overnight, killing seven people and injuring 24 others, media reported on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Security Service (SSU) said Friday that it had destroyed a Tu-95 strategic bomber at Russia's Engels military airfield in the Saratov region.
In a statement on Telegram, the SSU said the aircraft had been used by Russia in attacks against Ukraine and was struck by Ukrainian long-range drones during a special operation.
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The drones traveled about 800 km to reach the target, the agency said, adding that preliminary information indicated the aircraft suffered critical damage, with its tail section completely torn off.
Russia has not yet issued an official comment on the claim.
Russia raids Ukrainian military infrastructure
Russian forces conducted 19 rounds of strikes on Ukraine's key port infrastructure, used for military supplies and fuel storage, in the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.
The strikes targeted 24 Ukrainian vessels, including 14 dry cargo ships, three ferries, two container ships, a tanker, a cable-laying vessel, a floating dock and two patrol boats, in Odesa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhne and the Dnieper-Bug area, the ministry said.
Russian forces also struck Ukrainian defense industry facilities, ammunition depots, logistics hubs, fuel and energy infrastructure, transport facilities, as well as sites for the production and storage of long-range drones. Temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries were also hit.
The ministry said Russia had taken control of the village of Bachevsk in Ukraine's Sumy region, which would help expand Russia's security zone along the Kursk border region.
Russia establishes unified training system
The ministry has created a unified training system for drone specialists, Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko said Friday during a ministry board meeting.
Krivoruchko said more than 8,000 personnel had completed training in the first half of the year. He added that the training centers now provide instruction not only for individual specialists but also for entire units, with combat coordination conducted using standard equipment.
According to Krivoruchko, the number of drones delivered to Russian troops in the first six months of 2026 more than doubled compared with the same period in 2025, a surge he claimed would ensure superiority over Ukrainian forces.
Russia has been actively expanding its domestic drone production and operational capabilities amid the conflict with Ukraine. The importance of further modernizing the country's drone warfare capabilities has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov during official meetings.
