Ukrainian drones strike Wildberries warehouses near Moscow, killing four across two regions

Overnight drone assault on Moscow region

In the night of 15-16 August, Ukrainian strike drones targeted the Moscow region in what Governor Andriej Worobiow called one of the largest mass drone attacks on the area. Mayor Siergiej Sobianin reported that 201 drones were shot down in the Moscow region, while state media said most of the approximately 600 drones launched overnight were intercepted before reaching the capital region. Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed 822 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed overnight. On 15 August, Russian authorities had already reported a record 1,328 drones shot down over Moscow, along with 17 Flamingo missiles.

Fires at Wildberries and Domodedovo

Fires broke out at two logistics complexes south of Moscow. The Wildberries warehouse in Koledino, Podolsk, described as the company's largest in Russia with over 200,000 square meters (225,000 per another source), was engulfed in flames after a drone strike. Governor Worobiow confirmed the fire at the Koledino industrial park, stating that workers were in shelters at the time and no one was hurt. A second fire hit the Siewiernoje Domodiedowo sorting and logistics complex, where Worobiow said a pharmaceutical warehouse was struck. The Domodiedowo complex spans approximately 540,000 square meters.

Casualties and regional damage

Governor Worobiow confirmed one fatality: an 83-year-old man killed when a drone struck a private home in the Ramenskoye municipal district. Three others were injured, including one person wounded in an explosion at the Liesnoj garden plots and two injured near the M-2 highway and in the village of Zheleznodorozhny. In the Rostov region bordering Ukraine, Governor Jurij Sliusar reported three dead and one injured, with air defenses destroying over 150 drones and missiles. Residential and industrial buildings in the Kamensky district were damaged.

Systematic campaign against Wildberries

Since 18 July, Ukrainian drones have attacked at least 20 Wildberries facilities, according to Reuters, or at least 24, per Russian analytical firm Datainsights cited in another report. Satellite imagery analysis showed at least 1.18 million square meters of warehouse space damaged or destroyed, more than one-fifth of the company's logistics capacity. Goods inside the destroyed warehouses were valued at 280-480 billion rubles (12.6-21.5 billion PLN). Ukraine considers Wildberries a legitimate military target, citing the platform's sale of equipment for Russian soldiers, including body armor and helmets, and its role in procuring goods under Western sanctions. Russian authorities and Wildberries reject the claim that the company is part of the military supply system.

Economic ripple effects

Wildberries, described as Russia's Amazon, reported 2025 revenue of 6.1 trillion rubles (approximately 288 billion PLN), a 49% increase. The company carries approximately 830 billion rubles (37.4 billion PLN) in debt, held primarily with two state-owned banks, Sbierbank and VTB. Anders Olofsgård, a professor of economics at the Stockholm School of Economics, described the attacks as a new element of Ukraine's defense strategy.

It should be seen as an additional burden for a sector that is already struggling with a growing number of problematic assets. This is often hidden through loan restructuring, which forces banks to bear losses.

The Kremlin is reportedly considering a state bailout. Ukrainian hackers also attacked Wildberries' digital infrastructure during the week, targeting payment channels and remote customer service systems. Ukraine has simultaneously resumed strikes on Russian refineries in Syzran, Salavat, Orsk, Nizhnekamsk, and the Ust-Luga oil terminal, with independent Russian media reporting growing queues at petrol stations.