Ukraine intercepts 163 of 181 Russian drones in major overnight attack as cross-border strikes intensify

Russia and Ukraine exchanged intense cross-border strikes on August 2-3, 2026. Ukraine intercepted 163 of 181 Russian drones launched overnight, though 14 struck targets across 13 locations. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted several Russian regions, hitting a Wildberries warehouse in Samara and triggering Russian claims of downing 635 UAVs. The escalating attacks killed at least nine people in Russia and five in Ukraine, damaging key civilian infrastructure on both sides.

Cross-border drone attacks

• ▪Russian forces launched 181 drones, including Shahed-type strike UAVs, Gerbera, Italmas, and Parodiya decoy drones, against Ukraine on the night of August 2 to August 3, 2026.
• ▪Ukrainian drone strikes targeted several Russian regions overnight, with Russia's Defence Ministry reporting that air defences shot down 635 Ukrainian drones.

Wildberries warehouse strikes

• ▪Ukraine has struck more than a dozen Wildberries depots since July 18, 2026, resulting in at least nine deaths and scores of wounded.
• ▪Ukrainian drones targeted a Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Samara region, located approximately 800 kilometers from the border, causing a fire but no casualties.

Civilian casualties

• ▪Ukrainian strikes on Russia's Belgorod, Saratov, and Udmurtia regions killed at least nine people on August 2, 2026, including a 13-year-old girl in Belgorod.
• ▪Russian strikes on Ukraine killed at least five people on August 2, 2026, across the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions.

Infrastructure damage

• ▪A Russian strike destroyed a postal terminal in Ukraine's northern Kharkiv region, killing a postal worker and setting the facility on fire.
• ▪A Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Saratov region damaged civil infrastructure in Engels and the regional capital, Saratov, killing two people.

Air defense interception rates

• ▪Ukrainian air defense forces shot down or suppressed 163 of the 181 Russian drones launched overnight as of 07:30 on August 3, 2026.
• ▪Fourteen Russian strike UAVs hit targets at 13 locations in Ukraine, and debris from downed drones fell at two locations during the overnight attack.