Key facts
- Four Ozon logistics hubs in southern Russia were targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks.
- President Vladimir Putin issued a decree allowing the state to take control of critical infrastructure if poorly protected.
- The decree applies to facilities vital for state security and economic stability, including logistics and energy sectors.
- The measure is not intended as nationalization but as state participation in management for security issues.
Ukrainian drone attacks have targeted four of Ozon's logistics hubs in southern Russia, bringing the total number of facilities hit since August 22 to six. The strikes resulted in fires and injuries, with operations halted at the Makhachkala site. Ozon's shares subsequently fell 12% on the Moscow Exchange, and shares in its major shareholder, AFK Sistema, dropped nearly 13%.
In response to escalating threats, President Vladimir Putin issued a decree granting the Russian state the authority to take temporary control of critically-important infrastructure facilities if they are deemed to be poorly protected. This measure applies to entities responsible for fuel, energy, industrial, communications, transport, and logistics facilities that fail in their duty to protect them or are too slow to repair them after an attack. The decree comes as Ukraine has intensified drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and retail warehouses.
This follows previous attacks on Ozon and Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, with Ukraine's defense ministry claiming such strikes complicate enemy logistics and negatively affect the Russian economy. Putin had previously ordered the government to launch a program to rebuild damaged commercial warehouses.