Ukrainian drones strike oil refinery, explosions seen near 'Russia's Amazon' logistics hub, locals say

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Ukraine's military launched drone attacks on various Russian regions overnight on July 23, striking targets in multiple cities, Russian Telegram media channels reported, citing local residents.

A large fire was seen emanating from the NS-Oil Refinery in the community of Novospasskoye in Russia's Ulyanovsk Oblast following a reported Ukrainian drone attack.

The relatively small refinery, located approximately 650 kilometers (400 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border, primarily produces petroleum products, with a production capacity of 600,000 tonnes of crude per year.

The extent of the damage caused was not immediately clear.

Kyiv considers oil facilities to be valid military targets, as the energy sites provide fuel and funding for the Kremlin's war machine.

Ukraine's attacks on oil infrastructure have mounted pressure on the Kremlin by aggravating a domestic fuel supply crisis that has already caused export bans, price hikes, and sales restrictions across Russia. Residents of various Russian regions continue to report hours-long wait times at service stations.

Earlier in the night, the Russian city of Voronezh also came under a massive Ukrainian drone attack overnight on July 23, according to eyewitness reports.

The target appeared to be another logistics hub serving Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. Photos and videos posted to social media appear to show a large explosion over the city's sky. A large fire was later seen emanating from the area of the Wildberries logistics hub.

Although the Kyiv Independent was not immediately able to confirm the target of the reported strike, the company, frequently compared to e-commerce giant Amazon, has been targeted by Ukrainian attacks several times in recent days.

The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify the reports. Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the reported attack.

Earlier on July 22, the Wildberries warehouses in Voronezh announced that they would no longer operate at night. The announcement followed a string of Ukrainian strikes on Wildberries facilities over the past week.

The previous night, Ukraine set multiple logistics warehouses in Russia ablaze on July 22. Two Wildberries warehouses in southern Russia, one in Krasnodar and one in Stavropol Krai, erupted in flames after being hit by Ukrainian drones, according to local officials and monitoring channels.

Wildberries founder, Tatyana Kim, later confirmed that its logistics centers in both locations had been attacked and said warehouse operations had been suspended.

A few nights earlier, Ukraine hit Wildberries facilities in Russia's Moscow and Tambov oblasts in large-scale drone attacks overnight on July 18. Russian officials reported that nine people were killed and over 60 injured as a result of the strikes.

The attacks also likely inflicted heavy economic costs, with media analysts estimating over 100 billion rubles (approximately $1.2 billion) in damage.

Following the July 18 strike, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the logistics centers supported the Russian military.

"These are Russian logistics facilities, specifically warehouses used to supply war materiel: navigation equipment, components for drone production, and other supplies for the Russian army," he said in his evening address.

Wildberries lists a variety of military equipment available for purchase on its website, including drone components and body armor.

Wildberries, along with founder Kim (Russia's wealthiest woman), have been subject to international sanctions and trade restrictions due to Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. When imposing sanctions against the company in 2022, Poland noted that Wildberries was "the largest taxpayer in the Russian Federation."