Ukrainian forces reportedly target Wildberries warehouse in Yekaterinburg, over 1,600 kilometers from border
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Ukraine targeted a warehouse belonging to Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries in Yekaterinburg, more than 1,600 kilometers (nearly 990 miles) from the Russian-Ukrainian border, on Aug. 31, monitoring Telegram channels reported.
Local authorities declared a drone threat in Russia's Sverdlovsk Oblast, home to Yekaterinburg, at around 9 a.m. local time. Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor Denis Pasler confirmed that the strike occurred near a logistics center but did not identify the company that owns the facility.
The Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ said the target of the Ukrainian drones was a facility belonging to Wildberries, adding that one of the drones fell near the warehouse.
Meanwhile, debris fell on residential areas in the city, damaging three apartment buildings and injuring four people, according to the governor.
Pasler said no fires broke out at the damaged sites following the attacks, with the vast majority of the damage consisting of shattered windows.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims nor claims made by Russian officials.
Ukraine has launched a large-scale campaign this summer targeting logistics hubs in Russia and Russian-occupied territories that often serve as storage sites for dual-use goods used in weapons production and other military purposes.
Ukrainian drones attacked a logistics facility housing an Ozon sorting center and delivery hub in the Russian city of Belgorod on Aug. 30, a day after another Ozon facility was reportedly targeted in Russia's Rostov Oblast.
Ozon and Wildberries are Russia's two largest online marketplaces, serving millions of consumers and a vast network of sellers through their extensive e-commerce, warehousing and delivery networks. The companies are a major part of Russia's "platform economy," with their broader ecosystem accounting for about 8.5% of Russia's GDP and supporting more than 4 million jobs, according to Reuters.
