Ukrainian drones struck a Wildberries distribution center and the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery in the southern Russian city of Volgograd overnight, in the latest round of attacks targeting logistics hubs tied to Moscow’s war effort. Volgograd regional Governor Andrei Bocharov said five people were injured in what he called a massive overnight attack on the region.
Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, confirmed that its Volgograd facility was damaged and that a fire broke out at the site, saying no employees were injured. ‘Logistics chains have been reorganized, and the receipt of deliveries and dispatch of orders are being carried out at other facilities,’ the company said. Videos published by Russian monitoring channels showed large fires and thick smoke rising over the city.
Ukrainian and open-source monitoring accounts identified the apparent targets as the Wildberries distribution center, a logistics complex of about 44,000 square meters, and the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil-processing facilities, which produces gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel and other petroleum products. The full extent of the damage remained unclear.
The attack on Volgograd came alongside reported strikes elsewhere in Russia. In Tatarstan, residents of Kazan and surrounding areas reported explosions, and the independent project ASTRA said smoke appeared to rise from a Wildberries logistics complex in Zelenodolsk. Residents of Nizhnekamsk reported more than 30 explosions, with flames seen near the city’s oil-refining zone, where the TANECO and TAIF-NK refineries are located. Tatarstan authorities declared a drone threat across a wide area, and airports serving Kazan, Nizhnekamsk and Bugulma temporarily restricted flights.
A fire was also reported at an oil refinery in the city of Tuapse in the Krasnodar region, though the cause was not immediately clear. The reported strikes follow a series of Ukrainian attacks on Wildberries warehouses that began on July 18, with additional facilities in Penza and Sarapul hit earlier this week.
Around a dozen Wildberries locations have now reportedly been attacked or forced to halt operations since the campaign began. By July 29, drone strikes had damaged at least seven warehouses and eliminated about 10 percent of the company’s storage capacity, according to Wildberries and Russian regional authorities cited by Reuters.
The campaign has disrupted deliveries and inflicted losses on tens of thousands of small businesses that sell through the platform. Wildberries said more than 88,000 sellers had begun receiving initial compensation for damaged goods, while the company classifies drone attacks as force majeure, exempting it from liability. The Kremlin has acknowledged the growing economic disruption and said the government is monitoring the situation.
Ukraine says Wildberries facilities are embedded in Russia’s wartime logistics network. The retailer accounts for nearly half of Russia’s online retail market, and its platform has offered dual-use goods including body armor and fiber-optic cable that can be used for first-person-view drones. President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the targeted warehouses as logistics hubs involved in storing or distributing drone components, navigation equipment and other goods supporting Russia’s military.
The strikes underscore Ukraine’s ability to reach targets deep inside Russian territory and put pressure on the country’s wartime economy, while disrupting daily life for Russian civilians, including flights and online deliveries.
Sources: Kyiv Post, Kyiv Independent
Author: Russia Desk
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