Wildberries warehouse near St Petersburg on fire after Ukrainian drone strikes
Ukrainian drone strikes sparked a fire at a Wildberries warehouse near St Petersburg and killed five people in an attack on another facility in the Moscow region. Kyiv has been hitting Wildberries logistics sites since mid-July, saying they are used to supply the Russian military.
A fire broke out at a Wildberries warehouse in Krasny Bor near St Petersburg after Ukrainian drone strikes overnight into Tuesday, Ukrainian and Russian media reported. Witness videos posted online showed the logistics complex in flames. The company's press service confirmed that a Wildberries logistics facility had been damaged in the attack on Krasny Bor.
An attack also targeted a Wildberries warehouse in Chekhov, Moscow region, according to Russia's independent outlet Astra and the Ukrainian war-monitoring channel Exilenova+. Preliminary information from Russian authorities indicated five people were killed and six wounded in the Chekhov strike.
Ukraine began carrying out drone strikes on Wildberries warehouses on 18 July. Since then, more than 15 Wildberries facilities have been damaged. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and military analysts have said the warehouses are used to supply the Russian army. The platform's logistics centres reportedly receive sanctioned drone components and navigation equipment.
The strikes on Wildberries warehouses are said to divert Russia's air-defence resources, allowing Ukrainian forces to hit other strategically important targets deep inside Russia. Russia, meanwhile, has long conducted strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including Nova Poshta logistics centres.
