Ukrainian drone strikes on two Wildberries warehouses in Russia killed eight people and wounded 62 on Saturday, Kyiv’s latest attempt to take the war deep into Russian logistics territory.
The attacks hit facilities in Tambov, about 475 kilometers southeast of Moscow, and Elektrostal in the Moscow region. In Tambov, seven night-shift workers died at the scene and 25 were wounded, seven seriously. In Elektrostal, one person was killed and 37 wounded, eight seriously.
Russia said it shot down 48 drones over the Moscow region and 28 over the Tambov region.
Wildberries is the Russian equivalent of Amazon, an online retail giant that is part of the RWB group, valued at around $12.6 billion. But according to Ukraine, its warehouses are not just logistics centers for consumer goods. They are also supply nodes for the Russian war machine.
“The primary rationale for striking Wildberries’ warehouses is to disrupt Russian logistics and the supply of dual-use goods, critical electronics, and sanctioned components to the Russian army and arms manufacturers,” said Serhii Kuzan of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre.
President Zelensky called the warehouses “major logistics facilities” used to supply “sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.” Ukraine’s military said the strikes were a response to “Russian strikes on our civilian infrastructure.”
Wildberries’ CEO Tatyana Kim described it as “a terrible night for Russia and for the company.” The company’s platform has been used by Russian volunteers to purchase walkie-talkies, body armor, and drone components for troops on the front line.
Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone campaign against Russian energy and logistics infrastructure throughout 2026. Kyiv claims it has disabled roughly 43 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity, a figure the BBC notes has not been independently verified. President Putin admitted in June that Ukrainian attacks had caused fuel shortages and signed a law in early July to boost domestic fuel supply.
The strikes carry a psychological dimension as well. Kuzan noted that “collateral damage could also have a serious impact on the Russian economy, as well as a psychological effect on Russian society and support for the war.” Hitting an e-commerce warehouse, a place ordinary Russians associate with everyday shopping rather than war, sends a different message than hitting a military depot.
Russia condemned the attacks as “inhumane.” Tambov Governor Evgeniy Pervyshov called it the “largest and most inhumane” attack on the region. But Russia has used the same tactics against Ukraine, targeting postal distribution centers and electronics distributors, facilities that also handle dual-use goods.
War has a way of erasing the line between civilian and military infrastructure for both sides.