Major fire reported in St. Petersburg as Ukraine strikes Wildberries logistics hubs for fifth time in past week

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

Logistics centers belonging to Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, came under fire in the Russian cities of St. Petersburg and Tver, as well as in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight on July 24 in a widespread Ukrainian drone attack.

Wildberries logistics centers in St. Petersburg were among the facilities struck by Ukrainian drones, Russian Telegram media channels reported, leading to a large fire at one facility.

Residents shared videos on social media documenting thick black smoke rising over part of the city, with the strike reported on the "Utkin Zavod" logistics park, which houses the Wildberries facility immediately south of the city in the village of Novosaratovka.

Another strike was reported at a separate Wildberries facility in the Shushary district of St. Petersburg, Independent Russian Telegram channels ASTRA reported. Large plumes of black smoke were also seen at the facility.

St. Petersburg — located 1,100 kilometers (about 684 miles) from Ukraine's border and the hometown of Russian President Vladimir Putin — has rarely been targeted by Ukrainian attacks throughout Russia's full-scale invasion due to the concentration of Russian air defenses around the historically significant city.

In recent months, however, Ukrainian drone advancements have been able to more effectively penetrate air defenses, striking various targets in heavily fortified cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov confirmed the drone attack on the city, writing on Telegram that the attack targeted unspecified "civilian infrastructure facilities on Moskovskoye Highway."

Hours later, Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the attack on the Wildberries facility in Novosaratovka, claiming that three people were injured in the attack.

Wildberries' press service said that the company's logistics centers in Shushary and Utkin Zavod in St. Petersburg have been "temporarily suspended" following the attack.

Amid the attack, around 50 flights have been delayed at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, authorities said.

As Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure continue to intensify, Wildberries, frequently compared to e-commerce giant Amazon, has sustained five days of Ukrainian attacks on the company's facilities over the past week.

Earlier in the night, photo and videos posted to social media by Russian Telegram media channels purport to show a large fire emanating from a Wildberries facility in Simferopol. The warehouse complex serves as a major logistics hub for the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, and published footage by local residents purportedly showed the moment the drone struck the facility.

Wildberries' press service later confirmed that one of its warehouses in Simferopol was struck, though the company did not immediately provide details on the extent of the damage or possible disruptions to operations.

Later in the night, local residents also reported a fire at a Wildberries logistics hub in the Russian city of Tver. Thick clouds of smoke were seen rising over the city following the reported strike. The extent of the damage caused it that attack was not immediately clear.

The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify the reports nor claims made by Russian officials. Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the reported attack.

Overnight on July 23, Ukrainian forces reportedly also struck a Wildberries facility in Voronezh. While 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,

The recent attacks have inflicted heavy economic costs, with media analysts estimating at least 100 billion rubles (approximately $1.2 billion) in damage.

Following a separate July 18 strike on a warehouse, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the logistics centers support 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."