Drone strikes hit Tula and Voronezh overnight, and reached Moscow Oblast, piercing Russian air defenses in an alleged Ukrainian UAV raids. Russia claimed to intercept 122 drones. The extent of the damage from the attack remains unclear.
Ukraine targets military infrastructure in Tula
Russian news Telegram channel Astra reports that in the early hours of 17 July, drones targeted Russian facilities in Tula Oblast. Explosions thundered in Novomoskovsk, where key military-industrial sites are located, Liga reported. In Shchyokino, Tula Oblast, local residents reported a fire breaking out after a drone attack.
According to Ukrainian Telegram channel Supernova+, the Azot chemical plant in Shchyokino was hit directly during the attack. The M-500 methanol production unit was reportedly damaged. The plant carried out emergency technical procedures in response. Azot is one of Tula Oblast’s key chemical industry sites, producing ammonia, methanol, and other nitrogen-based compounds used in explosives and defense-related manufacturing.
Tula Oblast head Dmitri Milyaev said that as of 06:00, the threat of more drone attacks remained active in the oblast. Later, he claimed that drone “debris” fell on the premises of an unnamed enterprise.
Ukraine pierces Russian air defenses: drone strikes hit Tula, Voronezh
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 17, 2025
Russia claims it downed 122 Ukrainian drones last night.https://t.co/LHXY6IM02z
????#1-3 Tula, #4 Roslavl, by TG/Supernova+ pic.twitter.com/VBE27i8sPd
Drone strikes hit Voronezh
Drone strikes hit Tula and Voronezh nearly simultaneously. In Voronezh, drones reached deep into the city, with one, possible shot down by Russia’s air defenses, reportedly striking two floors of a high-rise residential building in the city’s left-bank area.
Governor Aleksandr Gusev claimed that air defenses had destroyed at least five UAVs over Voronezh Oblast, yet later acknowledged that fragments had struck a residential tower. The authorities claim four civilians were injured.
Moscow also under threat amid massive drone wave
Mayor Sergei Sobianin claimed that three drones were allegedly intercepted while attempting to enter Moscow’s airspace. Loud blasts were reported in Zelenograd. Residents described multiple explosion-like sounds during the night. The drone assault affected aviation. Departures and arrivals at Vnukovo Airport were delayed as a precaution during the strikes.
In Smolensk Oblast, local residents reported a strike on the town of Roslavl, home to a key aviation support plant under the Rostec conglomerate, according to Astra.
Russia claims 122 drones downed across 13 oblasts
Russia’s Ministry of Defense alleged that Ukrainian drones targeted at least 13 oblasts overnight, claiming 122 UAVs were shot down. According to the ministry, most drones were intercepted over Bryansk, Kursk, and Oryol oblasts. Additional UAVs were allegedly downed over Voronezh, Tula, Moscow Oblast, occupied Crimea, and several others.