(MOSCOW, RUSSIA) – A massive fire has destroyed the largest logistics hub of Russian online retailer Wildberries near Moscow, with Ukrainian officials claiming responsibility for a drone strike that has now disabled seven of the company’s ten largest warehouses.
The blaze at the Koledino facility, estimated to span between 220,000 and 250,000 square metres, was one of several fires reported around the Russian capital overnight. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that more than 600 Ukrainian drones targeted the city, with another logistics facility in Domodedovo also struck. Flights were cancelled at Domodedovo International Airport, one of Russia’s largest aviation hubs.
The Ukrainian military has systematically targeted Wildberries since mid-July, striking more than twenty warehouses, some on multiple occasions. Kyiv alleges the company, often described as Russia’s equivalent to Amazon, serves a dual purpose by handling military supplies alongside civilian goods.
Russian firefighters have reportedly been reluctant to approach burning Wildberries facilities due to secondary detonations from stored military components, a development that lends credence to Ukraine’s claims about the company’s military role. Russia denies that Wildberries serves as a military supplier.
The attacks represent a significant escalation in Ukraine’s strategy of imposing economic costs on the Russian state. Russian authorities have acknowledged that air defence systems failed to prevent the drones from reaching their targets in the capital region.
Moscow Mayor Sobyanin has openly criticised the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s political and economic management of the war, warning that the Russian federal budget already faces a shortfall of 7 trillion rubles ($73.5 billion / £57.8 billion / €67.2 billion). The mayor has indicated there are no resources available to compensate affected businesses or support the struggling retail sector.
The strikes are part of a broader campaign that has also targeted Russian oil infrastructure and other dual-use facilities. Russian airports in the capital region have faced repeated closures due to drone activity, disrupting both civilian travel and economic activity.
Analysts note that the attacks are bringing the reality of war to ordinary Russians who have largely been shielded from its direct effects. The sight of massive fires and the sound of detonations around Moscow represent a significant psychological blow to the Kremlin’s narrative that the war is a distant “special military operation.”
Ukraine has extended its long-range strike campaign for an additional 40 days, signalling that attacks on Russian logistics and economic infrastructure will continue. Military experts suggest Russia lacks the capability to adequately protect the vast number of potential targets within its borders.
The destruction of Wildberries’ logistics network marks what some Russian commentators describe as “the end of an era” for the company, with thousands of businesses that relied on the marketplace now facing uncertainty. The Kremlin has offered no solution or compensation plan for affected businesses.
Ukrainian officials have framed the strikes as “long-range sanctions” designed to weaken Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort while demonstrating that no target within Russia is beyond reach.
Be First to Comment