Key facts
- A warehouse facility near St. Petersburg was struck by drones.
- Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the drone strike.
- This is the third attack on Wildberries facilities in six days.
- Ukraine claims Wildberries warehouses store drone parts and assist the Russian army.
- Three people were wounded in the St. Petersburg attack.
A warehouse facility near St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, was struck by drones, according to regional governor Alexander Drozdenko. This incident marks the third time in six days that Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, has been targeted.
Ukraine has accused Wildberries of storing drone parts and aiding the Russian army, framing the attacks as justified retribution for Russia's ongoing military actions. The attacks on St. Petersburg, located over 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, are part of a stepped-up campaign by Kyiv targeting Russian energy, military, and logistics sites.
According to Wildberries CEO Tatyana Kim, rapid evacuations were carried out at the affected warehouses, and preliminary data indicated no casualties. However, Leningrad region governor Alexander Drozdenko stated that three people were wounded in the attack. Russia's defense ministry reported intercepting a large number of drones across various regions overnight.
Elsewhere in Russia, a large fire reportedly broke out at the Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast following a Ukrainian strike. Kyiv considers energy facilities to be valid military targets as they provide fuel and funding for the Kremlin's war machine.
Finland, a member of the EU and NATO, has established a temporary aviation restriction area in the eastern Gulf of Finland in response to the heightened activity.