Ukraine carried out drone attacks on two key logistics centers affiliated with the leading online retailer known as “Russia’s Amazon” in St. Petersburg, the hometown of Vladimir Putin. The strikes caused significant damage, setting the marketplace hubs ablaze in massive fires.
In addition to the St. Petersburg attacks, another facility belonging to the retailer was targeted in Russian-occupied Crimea, resulting in a large fire visible from space. A third strike hit a Wildberries facility in the Tver region, bypassing Putin’s air defenses during a heightened offensive by Ukraine.
Separately, Ukraine utilized Flamingo missiles to target the Avitek defense plant in the Kirov region. The plant, sanctioned for producing military equipment, faced multiple explosions with reports suggesting a lack of evacuation alerts, raising concerns about potential casualties among workers.
Following the strikes, major flight delays were experienced in St. Petersburg due to the thick black smoke rising from the targeted Wildberries locations in Shushary and Utkina Zavod. The disruptions affected over 50 flights, causing substantial financial losses.
The impacted company, handling a majority of online orders in Russia, temporarily suspended operations at the damaged hubs. Evacuation measures were taken before the drone attacks were executed.
Footage captured the Wildberries hub in Simferopol, Crimea, engulfed in flames post the Ukrainian strike, adding pressure to the region already grappling with challenges like an oil supply blockade and reduced tourism.
The series of attacks on Wildberries facilities, including the recent hit in Tver, has dealt a severe blow to Russian retailing, posing both economic and psychological challenges for Putin. The crisis has left numerous small business suppliers without income, with minimal prospects for compensation.
President Zelensky accused Wildberries of supplying goods to Putin’s military, further escalating tensions. The Ukrainian offensive on Friday morning marked the largest drone attack across multiple Russian regions since the conflict began.