Four logistics hubs owned by Russia’s second-largest online retailer Ozon were targeted in Ukrainian drone attacks across southern Russia, the company said on Monday, bringing the total number of targeted facilities to six since August 22.
Ozon said its logistics hub in Makhachkala, the capital of the southern Dagestan republic, was on fire after a drone attack, with several people reported injured. Workers at warehouses in Adygeysk, in the Adygeya region, and Nevinnomyssk, in the Stavropol region, were evacuated, though those facilities were not damaged. A large fire broke out at the Enem facility in the Krasnodar region.
Market Reaction
Shares in Ozon fell by as much as 12 percent on the Moscow Exchange on news of the attacks, while shares in AFK Sistema, the company’s major shareholder, dropped by nearly 13 percent. The sell-off reflected investor concern about the escalating campaign against Russia’s logistics infrastructure.
Ozon said in a statement: According to preliminary information, several people were injured at the Makhachkala facility, which has halted operations.
Escalating Campaign Against Russian E-Commerce
The attacks on Ozon follow a similar campaign against its larger rival, Wildberries. At least seven Wildberries warehouses have been damaged in Ukrainian drone strikes since mid-July, with the largest attack on August 16 setting fire to the company’s biggest logistics complex near Moscow. Ukrainian authorities allege that both companies’ warehouses are used to store and distribute dual-use goods for the Russian military, a claim both firms deny.
Work at an Ozon logistics centre in the Samara region was halted after the first Ukrainian strike on the company’s facilities on August 22. The overnight attacks on August 24 marked the third consecutive night of strikes against Ozon infrastructure.
Deep-Strike Campaign Continues
Russia’s Defence Ministry reported intercepting hundreds of Ukrainian drones overnight, while Ukrainian forces continued to target logistics hubs, oil refineries, and military facilities deep inside Russian territory. The campaign has intensified in recent weeks, with Ukraine deploying long-range FP-1 drones capable of reaching targets more than 1,500 kilometres from the border.
The attacks represent a significant escalation in Ukraine’s air campaign, targeting the commercial infrastructure that sustains Russia’s wartime economy. The strikes hit facilities across multiple southern Russian regions simultaneously, suggesting sophisticated coordination and intelligence-gathering capabilities.
discussion