Drone Strike Destroys Wildberries Warehouse in Russia's Tambov Region

A drone attack early Wednesday caused a massive fire that completely destroyed a Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Tambov region, according to regional governor Evgeniy Pervyshov. Two people were wounded in the overnight strike, he said on the MAX messaging app.

Pervyshov reported that about 100,000 square metres (1.1 million square feet) of the logistics centre was burning — an area equivalent to 14 soccer pitches. He later confirmed the facility was "completely destroyed by fire."

The attack is part of Ukraine's broader campaign to damage Russia's economy by targeting online retailers. Ukraine has been striking Wildberries facilities since mid-July and has recently expanded its operations to include the company's main rival, Ozon. Together, these two firms dominate one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Russian economy, which otherwise remains close to stagnation after more than four years of war.

In neighbouring Lipetsk region, a man and a 14-year-old were killed in a fire caused by a falling drone, while a woman died in a drone attack in Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, local authorities said on Telegram.

Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly denied targeting civilians since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.