(SAMARA AND ORENBURG OBLASTS, RUSSIA) – Ukrainian drones have struck two Ozon distribution centres in Russia, marking the first attacks on the country’s second largest online retailer after a sustained campaign against Wildberries that destroyed more than 20 of its warehouses.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence released a graphic with the caption “Ozon holes,” referencing holes in the ozone layer. One facility in Samara, the fifth largest Ozon distribution centre, burned for approximately 10 hours and was completely destroyed. The centre represented a 10 billion rouble (£93 million / $118 million) investment and was expected to create between 3,400 and 6,000 jobs.
A second distribution centre in Orenburg was struck by a single Ukrainian drone that hit the roof but did not ignite. Normal operations at the facility are expected to be suspended.
A separate warehouse fire occurred in Kolpino near St Petersburg, though there were no reports of Ukrainian drones in the area. The cause of that fire remains unclear.
The strikes come amid Russia’s deepening fuel crisis. Ukraine struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Samara Oblast, located approximately 900 kilometres from Ukrainian territory. The facility has been targeted previously in April and November of last year.
According to analysis compiled by defence observers, Ukraine has struck 13 refineries 18 times during August alone, including facilities in Ufa and Saratov. The strikes are contributing to severe fuel shortages across Russia.
Petrol availability at Russian filling stations has fallen to its lowest level since the crisis began. In Moscow, drivers queue for hours to purchase limited fuel allocations. Prices have approximately doubled from a year ago, with some illegal mobile vendors selling petrol at 150 roubles (£1.40 / $1.70) per litre.
The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin acknowledged the strikes, claiming Ukraine “has opened Pandora’s box itself” and threatening retaliation against Ukraine’s “most sensitive sectors of the economy.”
Polling from the Levada Centre indicates declining Russian confidence in the war. Only 8 percent of respondents believe the “special military operation” is progressing very successfully, the lowest level since the war began. A separate poll from VCIOM found that 66 percent of Russians believe the worst times are still ahead, with the optimism index at its lowest since the COVID pandemic.
Ukraine also struck two Russian fighter jets and multiple air defence systems in Krasnodar Krai. According to Magyar’s Birds, the strikes destroyed a Su-33, a MiG-29 and an Orion drone, along with eight radar systems, an S-400 position and two air defence systems. Eleven of 14 targets were successfully struck.
Operation Crimean Switch Off continues, with 267 energy targets destroyed since 1st July across occupied territories. Satellite imagery shows occupied territories including Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea largely without electricity.
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