Thick black smoke hung over Volgograd on Friday after Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and one of Russia’s largest logistics hubs, forcing the city’s airport to suspend all operations.
The night attack ignited a large blaze at Wildberries’ 44,000-square-meter distribution center. The company said it had reworked its logistics chains and redirected deliveries to other pickup points.
– The attack caused a fire at the company’s logistics center in Volgograd. Firefighters are on site. There are no reports of casualties so far – the press office said.
Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov said the strike also damaged a residential building and left five people wounded. A fire erupted at a fuel-and-energy facility, according to the Interfax agency. Unian reported that the Lukoil refinery in Volgograd, one of the largest in Russia, was also among the targets. After the strikes, the local airport halted its work, as reported by Fontanka.
Wildberries has been a repeated target
Since mid-July, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly hit Wildberries facilities across Russia. Attacks have been reported in Elektrostal in the Moscow region, Kotovsk in the Tambov region, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk in Stavropol Krai, Simferopol in occupied Crimea, the Voronezh region, Penza and Ryazan. According to the company, these strikes have reduced its logistics capacity by roughly 10 percent.
Wildberries is the largest online marketplace in Russia and one of the key pillars of the country’s e-commerce sector, processing millions of orders daily.
Kyiv and Moscow give different accounts
Ukrainian authorities say such strikes are aimed at infrastructure that supports Russia’s military campaign. President Volodymyr Zelensky, cited by Radio Svoboda, argued that Wildberries warehouses held goods of dual use.
– Wildberries warehouses stored dual-use goods, including electronics, navigation equipment and other components used by the Russian defense industry and in drone production – said Zelensky, quoted by Radio Svoboda.
Russia rejects these accusations.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
