Ukrainian long-range drones struck a major warehouse belonging to Russia’s biggest online retailer for the second time in just over a month, starting a massive fire that destroyed it completely, local authorities said Wednesday.
Ukrainian forces previously hit the depot in the Tambov region southeast of Moscow, several hundred kilometres (miles) from the Ukrainian border, on July 18, killing seven people and heralding the start of an aerial campaign that has delivered repeated blows to Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries. The company’s size and commercial importance have brought comparisons with Amazon.
Ukraine’s cutting-edge drone capabilities developed since Russia’s February 2022 military operation have allowed it to hit dozens of Wildberries facilities across Russia in recent weeks. Kyiv officials say goods sold by the company include gear and technical components used by Russia’s military.
Ukraine has been firing hundreds of drones at Russia almost nightly, hoping to overwhelm air defenses. The Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces overnight shot down 426 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions and illegally annexed Crimea.
Wildberries confirmed the overnight attack and fire at its depot in the Tambov region and said the facility was evacuated, but it didn’t elaborate on the extent of the damage.
