Ukraine drones hit Russian retail giant’s warehouses, killing eight and wounding 62

At least eight people were killed and 62 others injured after Ukrainian drones struck two warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, in one of the deadliest long-range attacks on Russian commercial logistics infrastructure since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

 

The overnight strikes, which also targeted an oil facility and other strategic sites, underscored Kyiv’s intensifying campaign to disrupt Russia’s military supply chain far beyond the battlefield, even as Moscow continued its bombardment of Ukrainian cities.

 

Russian officials said seven workers died and 25 people were injured when drones hit a Wildberries warehouse in Tambov, about 475 kilometres south-east of Moscow. Another worker was killed and 37 people injured after a separate strike on a Wildberries facility in Elektrostal, in the Moscow region. Authorities said several of the wounded were in critical condition.

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the operation, saying the strikes targeted “major logistics facilities” used to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment supporting Russia’s military. He added that Ukrainian forces also attacked targets in the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and Russian-annexed Crimea.

 

The overnight attacks came as Russia continued its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Zelensky said the operation was carried out in response to repeated Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, noting that 14 people were killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight.

 

Videos circulating on social media, which the BBC could not independently verify, showed massive fires engulfing one of the logistics centres, with thick black smoke rising into the sky as workers fled the buildings. Other footage appeared to show parts of a warehouse collapsing amid a series of explosions.

 

Tambov Governor Evgeniy Pervyshov described the assault as the “largest and most inhumane” drone attack the region had experienced, citing both the number of drones deployed and the resulting casualties. He said Russian air defences intercepted 28 drones approaching the region, but the warehouse was still hit. Most of the injured suffered shrapnel wounds, with seven reported in serious condition.

 

In the Moscow region, Governor Andrei Vorobyov said air defence units destroyed 48 drones overnight. He added that a falling drone also struck an oil depot, calling it the incident with the “most serious consequences.” Firefighters and emergency crews continued working at the affected sites.

 

Wildberries, often described as Russia’s equivalent of Amazon, is one of the country’s largest e-commerce companies. The merged RWB Group, which combines Wildberries and advertising company Russ, was valued at about $12.6 billion by Forbes Russia this year. Chief executive Tatyana Kim called it a “terrible night” for both Russia and the company.

 

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia’s logistics and energy infrastructure, arguing that oil facilities and supply hubs help finance and sustain Moscow’s war effort. Earlier this month, Kyiv claimed almost 43 per cent of Russia’s oil refining capacity had been disabled by previous strikes, although that figure has not been independently verified. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks had contributed to domestic fuel shortages.