Ukrainian drones strike Ozon logistics center in Russia's Orenburg

Ukrainian military forces reportedly launched a drone attack on an Ozon logistics center in Orenburg, Russia, on the night of August 23. This incident follows a similar reported strike on another Ozon facility in Samara Oblast the previous evening. Social media channels shared images and videos purportedly showing smoke emanating from the Orenburg warehouse after the alleged strike, with air raid alerts active in the region beforehand.

Ozon, which is Russia's second-largest online marketplace and a primary competitor to Wildberries, has become a target for Ukrainian forces. Ukraine's Defense Ministry has justified such attacks, stating that systematic strikes on storage centers for dual-use goods impede the Russian military's operations and negatively affect the country's economy.

Orenburg is situated in southwestern Russia, approximately 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Separately, a massive fire erupted at a warehouse in St. Petersburg on August 22, reportedly adjacent to an Ozon logistics center. This blaze, which spread to cover at least 82,000 square meters, occurred without air raid alerts being declared in the region.