(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Ukrainian long range drone operations are increasingly focusing on Russian economic infrastructure, with reported strikes affecting logistics centres, energy facilities and businesses linked to supply networks supporting Moscow’s war effort.
A recent series of reported drone attacks targeted logistics facilities operated by Wildberries, one of Russia’s largest online marketplaces, including warehouses in Sarapul in the Udmurt Republic and Penza. The attacks caused fires, led to evacuations and forced the company to redirect logistics operations to other facilities, according to company statements.
Russian company Russ & Wildberries said the Sarapul logistics complex was evacuated after an air alert and that firefighting crews were working at the site. The company said there were no preliminary reports of casualties and that deliveries and shipments were being transferred through alternative locations.
The reported attacks follow earlier incidents involving Wildberries warehouses in several Russian regions. Ukrainian officials and analysts have said such facilities are targeted because some commercial logistics networks may support military related supply chains. Russia has disputed those claims.
The reported drone campaign marks a shift from previous Ukrainian strikes focused mainly on oil refining and fuel infrastructure towards a wider effort aimed at disrupting systems that support Russia’s military economy.
According to Ukrainian sources cited by UNN, more than 15 Russian oil refineries have been targeted since the beginning of the year, contributing to pressure on domestic fuel supplies. Russian intelligence assessments cited in the report said AI 92 petrol prices reached about 64.5 roubles per litre in early July, around US$0.80, £0.60 and €0.68 per litre.
Ukrainian officials and military analysts argue that the strategy is designed not only to damage individual facilities but to create wider economic costs through repairs, supply disruptions and reduced industrial capacity.
The Financial Times has reported that Ukrainian planners are increasingly focusing on critical components of industrial systems that are difficult to replace rather than simply causing visible damage to individual sites.
Ukrainian drone operators quoted in reports said operations involve technical analysis from engineers and specialists to identify vulnerable parts of industrial networks.
Acting Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said Ukraine’s objective was to use technology to reduce risks to Ukrainian soldiers while increasing pressure on Russian military capabilities. He said deep strike operations, unmanned systems and other technologies were central to this approach.
Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Andrii Zahorodniuk said Ukraine was analysing Russia as an interconnected system, where pressure on one part of the economy could affect other sectors.
The reported strategy also includes financial pressure. Denys Shtilerman, chief designer and co owner of Ukrainian defence company Fire Point, said pressure on Russia’s energy sector had produced economic effects but argued that financial institutions and major commercial networks could become additional areas of concern.
Shtilerman claimed that companies such as Wildberries and other large marketplaces had significant links with Russia’s banking sector through corporate lending. He argued that financial losses affecting major borrowers could increase pressure on Russian banks.
Russian bank VTB has reported weaker financial performance, with profits below earlier expectations, although the bank has not linked its results publicly to Ukrainian drone operations.
Ukraine has also argued that logistics networks are important because they support the movement of goods and components used by Russia’s military industry.
Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi said the wider objective was to reduce Russia’s ability to finance and supply its military campaign.
Ukrainian officials say the economic impact of each operation is a key measure of success, with the aim of creating costs for Russia that are significantly higher than the cost of carrying out the operation.
Kyiv says the strategy represents a move from a traditional war of attrition towards a contest based on economic pressure, industrial resilience and technological capability.
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