Ukraine drone attack hits 'Russian Amazon' warehouses, killing 7 and injuring 49 in Moscow and Tambov regions

The attacks

In the early hours of Saturday, Ukrainian drones struck two major logistics hubs of Wildberries, Russia's largest e-commerce platform, and an oil products depot in the Moscow region. The warehouse in Kotowsk, Tambov region, was hit directly, while a fire at the Elektrostal centre near Moscow may have been triggered by Russian air defence missiles attempting to intercept drones, Ukrainian media reported. An oil storage facility in Noginsk also caught fire.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said over 370 drones were launched at the capital region overnight, with 64 shot down. Ukrainian outlets noted that the claim could not be independently verified.

Casualties and damage

Tambov governor Yevgeny Pervyshov reported that seven employees were killed and 25 injured at the Kotowsk warehouse. He described the incident as a "planned terrorist attack on the civilian population".

The victims of the raid are employees of the enterprise. Six of the injured are in serious condition, and one is critical.

In Elektrostal, Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov said 24 people were injured. Wildberries & Russ confirmed the strike on its logistics facility, adding that a fire broke out and staff were evacuated. The Elektrostal hub handles roughly 10% of the company's total turnover in Russia, according to Kyiv Post.

Zelensky's confirmation

President Volodymyr Zelensky later confirmed the strikes, stating they were a response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. He said the two logistics facilities, located over 500 and nearly 700 km from the front line, were used by the aggressor to secure supplies of sanctioned components for drone and navigation equipment production. An oil facility was also hit, and medium-range strikes reached targets in the Azov and Black Seas as well as occupied Crimea.

Today our long-range sanctions worked in three directions on Russian territory, as well as on our temporarily occupied lands and at sea. In particular, in response to Russian attacks on our civilian infrastructure, our cities and communities, two important logistics facilities were hit — in the Moscow and Tambov regions.

Reactions

Pro-Ukrainian commentators welcomed the strikes, calling it "probably the best night in a long time" and urging that all Russian-controlled logistics hubs be destroyed. The attacks are seen as retaliation for earlier Russian strikes on Ukrainian postal nodes. Governor Pervyshov condemned the raid as a terrorist act, while Russian independent media circulated footage of the burning Wildberries warehouse.

Wildberries' role

Wildberries, often dubbed the "Russian Amazon", is the country's largest online marketplace, selling everything from clothing and electronics to household goods. Founded in 2004, it grew rapidly during the Covid-19 pandemic and is now one of Russia's biggest employers and taxpayers. The strikes on its logistics backbone are expected to cause significant disruption to the country's supply network.

The overnight barrage is the latest in a series of Ukrainian drone campaigns targeting Russian infrastructure. On 25 June, Zelensky announced a 40-day "operation of influence" to increase pressure on Moscow. US-mediated peace talks remain at an impasse.