Ukraine Strikes Wildberries Hubs Near Moscow, St. Petersburg in Fresh Drone Wave
AI Analysis
Ukraine conducted long-range drone strikes on two major Wildberries logistics hubs near Moscow and St. Petersburg, damaging a 154,000-square-meter distribution center and a warehouse in Chekhov. Russian air defenses reportedly downed 17 drones but failed to prevent significant damage, continuing a campaign that has hit up to 27% of Wildberries' warehouse capacity since July 18.
Key Takeaways
- Ukraine struck Wildberries hubs near Moscow (Chekhov) and St. Petersburg (Krasny Bor) in overnight drone attacks.
- The Leningrad region hub is Wildberries' newest and largest, at 154,000 square meters, and was set ablaze.
- Russian air defenses claimed to have downed 17 drones but acknowledged damage and one injury.
- This is part of a sustained Ukrainian campaign since July 18, damaging up to 27% of Wildberries' warehouse capacity.
- At least 20 Wildberries facilities have been hit, including a previous 250,000-square-meter hub near Moscow destroyed earlier.
Why It Matters
These strikes demonstrate Ukraine's growing capability to conduct deep, persistent drone attacks on Russia's economic and logistics infrastructure, far from the front lines. By targeting a major e-commerce supply chain, Ukraine aims to disrupt domestic logistics, increase economic pressure, and potentially affect Russian morale and wartime logistics.
Ukraine launched another wave of long-range drone strikes early Tuesday, hitting two of Russia’s largest Wildberries logistics hubs near Moscow and St. Petersburg as Kyiv presses its campaign against the country’s supply network.
In the Moscow region, drones struck the town of Chekhov, setting a warehouse ablaze in the Novoselki industrial zone.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Oblast Governor Andrei Vorobyov said the strike sparked several fires, damaged an electrical substation and an administrative building, and killed five people while injuring six others. Kyiv has not commented on the reported casualties.
Eyewitness footage analyzed by Russian outlet Astra indicates the destroyed warehouse belonged to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer.
Hundreds of kilometers to the north, another strike hit the Leningrad region near St. Petersburg.
Governor Alexander Drozdenko said Russian air defenses downed 17 drones but confirmed damage to a warehouse complex in Krasny Bor, where one person was injured.
Russian outlet Bumaga, citing Wildberries employees and eyewitness videos, reported the attack hit the company’s newest and largest logistics hub in the Leningrad region – a 154,000-square-meter (38-acre) distribution center that erupted in flames after the strike.
The latest attacks come less than two weeks after Ukrainian drones hit two other Wildberries sorting centers in the Leningrad region.
The strikes are part of what appears to be a deliberate Ukrainian effort to disrupt Russia’s logistics infrastructure.
Since July 18, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted Wildberries warehouses across Russia. According to Data Insight, cited by The Moscow Times, strikes had reached between 1.21 million and 1.47 million square meters (300 to 360 acres) of warehouse space by Aug. 2, damaging up to 22% of the company’s publicly declared logistics network.
Russian outlet Verstka put the figure even higher, estimating that more than 1.5 million square meters (370 acres) – roughly 27% of Wildberries’ warehouse capacity – has been damaged.
At least 20 Wildberries facilities have reportedly been hit, including warehouses in Elektrostal, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, and St. Petersburg.
The company’s biggest loss remains its massive 250,000-square-meter (62-acre) logistics hub in Elektrostal outside Moscow, which was completely destroyed in an earlier Ukrainian strike.
Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.