Ukrainian drones destroy Wildberries hub in Russia for second time

Ukrainian drones destroyed a major Wildberries logistics hub in the Russian town of Kotovsk for the second time in six weeks, triggering a massive fire that completely consumed the facility, regional authorities said on Wednesday, August 26. The attack on the warehouse in Tambov Oblast, located about 420 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, marks the latest blow to Russia's largest online retailer in a sustained aerial campaign targeting its supply chain.

Tambov Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov confirmed the strike and said the fire burned across more than 100,000 square meters of the complex. By late morning, he reported the warehouse had been destroyed. The governor initially stated one employee suffered a concussion from a blast wave, but later updated the injury count to two people. He said three strike drones reached the building and that air defenses and mobile fire groups had destroyed 16 drones during the attack. Local residents reported hearing at least 10 explosions over a 40-minute period, and the mayor of Kotovsk urged residents to stay indoors for two days due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from the blaze.

Wildberries confirmed the drone attack damaged its...