Ukraine expands drone campaign to Russian retailer Ozon across multiple regions
Following weeks of strikes on Wildberries, Ukrainian drone attacks hit Ozon logistics hubs in Samara, Orenburg, Krasnodar, and Stavropol, while Russian authorities reported two children killed in Krasnodar.
Expansion of strikes to Ozon
Ukraine launched drone attacks against logistics centers operated by Ozon, Russia's second-largest e-commerce marketplace, for three consecutive nights ending 24 August 2026. The strikes follow an extensive campaign against Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. On 22 August 2026, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence announced that it was redirecting operations toward Ozon's distribution network.
After Ukrainian units hit the 15 largest logistics centres of Wildberries, now it is Ozon's turn.
The first strike hit an Ozon facility in Chapayevsk within the Samara region on 22 August 2026, where a fire prompted the evacuation of 500 workers and injured several employees. Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed the injuries, and the company suspended operations while establishing an emergency hotline for staff and families. On 23 August 2026, Russian air defences intercepted six drones over the Orenburg region, though falling debris ignited a fire at an Ozon warehouse and forced the evacuation of over 300 personnel, according to Governor Yevgeny Solntsev.
- Ukraine begins drone strikes against Wildberries logistics hubs across Russia and Crimea.
- Vladimir Putin pledges state support to rebuild damaged Wildberries infrastructure.
- A drone strike hits an Ozon facility in Chapayevsk, injuring workers and evacuating 500 staff.
- Attacks damage an Ozon warehouse in Orenburg and an 82,000-square-metre logistics hub near St. Petersburg.
- Drone strikes trigger fires at Ozon facilities near Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk.
Southern logistics hubs and reported casualties
During the night of 24 August 2026, drone strikes expanded to southern Russian distribution centers. Ozon reported a large fire at a logistics facility near Krasnodar, where operations were suspended and workers evacuated without reported injuries. In the Stavropol region, independent media outlet Astra reported that drones struck a 93,000-square-metre Ozon distribution warehouse in Nevinnomyssk, causing an extensive fire in the local industrial district.
- Nevinnomyssk Ozon warehouse
- 93000 m²
- St. Petersburg Logistera facility
- 82000 m²
The governor of Krasnodar stated on Telegram that falling drone debris struck a private nursery, killing two children and injuring nine individuals. The governor added that drones hit several residential properties, a warehouse, and an apartment building under construction. In northeastern Ukraine, a Russian strike on a suburb of Kharkiv killed three people and required emergency services to evacuate eight others, with searches continuing for additional casualties.
Strategic rationale and estimated damages
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined the military objectives behind targeting e-commerce infrastructure, stating that Russian platforms transport military goods and generate significant state revenue. Wildberries was founded in 2004 by Tatyana Kim and handles roughly half of all Russian online orders, according to the Associated Press. Zelenskyy stated that the strikes retaliate against Russian attacks since 2022 on Ukrainian logistics companies, including delivery operators Ukrposhta and Nova Poshta.
It was their attacks on our logistics that led us to react in the same way, logistically.
Zelenskyy estimated direct Russian losses from Wildberries warehouse strikes at 1 trillion rubles (approximately 10.3 billion euros), projecting that total damages could reach 3 trillion rubles (30.9 billion euros) when accounting for debt, third-party losses, and reconstruction. He also cited Ukrainian evaluations that Russia possesses between 600 and 630 ballistic missiles, with long-term production capacity reaching up to 1,300 per year.
State response and broader air campaign
Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged state support on 19 August 2026 to help rebuild destroyed Wildberries warehouses, while Moscow condemned the Ukrainian strikes as deliberate attacks against civilian infrastructure. The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that air defence systems shot down 457 Ukrainian drones overnight on 23 August 2026.
The Ukrainian air campaign has targeted broader Russian industrial and oil infrastructure, contributing to domestic fuel shortages. On the outskirts of St. Petersburg, a drone strike overnight into 23 August 2026 sparked an 82,000-square-metre fire at a logistics facility operated by Logistera near an Ozon site, while regional authorities in Samara reported that an oil refinery was targeted alongside the Chapayevsk depot.
