Ukraine Brings the War to Russia’s Amazon as Wildberries Hubs Go Up in Flames

Ukrainian long-range drones struck multiple targets in Russia overnight on July 18, including logistics centers operated by Russia’s largest online marketplace, Wildberries, in the Moscow and Tambov regions, as well as an oil storage facility near Moscow, according to Russian regional officials and the Russian independent outlet ASTRA.

Russian authorities confirmed fires at several locations, while Wildberries acknowledged that its facilities had been affected and said employees were evacuated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian long-range strikes had targeted “two significant logistics facilities” in the Moscow and Tambov regions, located more than 500 and nearly 700 kilometers from the front line.

In a post on Facebook, Zelenskyy said the facilities had been used by Russia to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment. He also said Ukrainian forces struck an oil industry facility, as well as additional targets in the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea, and temporarily occupied Crimea.

According to ASTRA, one of the main targets was a Wildberries logistics complex in Elektrostal, east of Moscow. Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said a drone strike caused a fire at the warehouse, where emergency services continued firefighting operations throughout the morning.

The company confirmed fires at both its Elektrostal facility and another warehouse in Kotovsk, Tambov region, stating that staff had been evacuated from both sites.

In the Tambov region, Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said a fire broke out at a Wildberries warehouse following the attack.

Separately, ASTRA reported that drones also struck the Noginsk oil depot, approximately 50 kilometers east of central Moscow. The facility stores and distributes gasoline, diesel fuel, and kerosene for customers across the Moscow region. Videos published by ASTRA and the Ukrainian monitoring project Exilenova+ showed a large fire and a column of black smoke rising from the site.

According to ASTRA, smoke from the fires at both the Noginsk oil depot and the Wildberries logistics center in Elektrostal was visible from at least 50 kilometers away.

Wildberries, Russia’s largest e-commerce platform, said operations at the affected facilities had been suspended while damage was being assessed.

Russian media also reported that the company recently updated its terms for marketplace sellers, classifying damage caused by drone attacks or falling debris as force majeure, which excludes compensation for affected goods.

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