Tambov Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov stated that the Wildberries logistics center was 'completely destroyed by fire' following a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes across Russia that resulted in at least three fatalities. The strikes also targeted a major oil refinery and caused a significant fire at a warehouse belonging to Russian e-commerce company Wildberries in the Tambov region.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 426 Ukrainian drones overnight, including those over Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. Governor Pervyshov indicated that approximately 100,000 square meters (1.1 million square feet) of the Wildberries facility were affected, equivalent to 14 football pitches. He noted that one individual was injured in the attack, but did not confirm whether the fire had been extinguished.
The drone strike specifically targeted the Wildberries logistics center in Kotovsk, located about 500 kilometers (310 miles) southeast of Moscow. Additionally, another industrial facility in the Nizhny Novgorod region sustained damage from a drone attack, as reported by the regional governor. The Ukrainian General Staff indicated that the military struck Lukoil’s NORSI oil refinery in the same region, resulting in a fire, with damage assessments ongoing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Ukraine had hit 16 targets in Russia over the past day, including oil facilities and logistics sites, as well as airfields and military infrastructure. He stated, 'The war must return to where it came from' in a post on X.
In the Lipetsk region, local authorities reported that a man and a 14-year-old were killed due to a fire caused by a falling drone, while a woman died in a drone attack in the Belgorod region, according to Reuters.
Since mid-July, Ukraine has targeted Wildberries facilities, as well as its main competitor, Ozon. Both companies are significant players in a rapidly growing segment of the Russian economy, which has been largely stagnant due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Ukraine has accused Wildberries of being involved in Russia’s military supply chain, while Moscow and the company assert that its facilities serve civilian purposes.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a Russian guided aerial bomb attack caused serious damage to a combined heat and power plant in Kherson, as reported by Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz. The extent of the damage will be evaluated once the security situation permits.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have denied targeting civilians since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, although strikes on both sides have increased in recent months, leading to a rise in civilian casualties.