Ukraine Targets Russian E-commerce Logistics in Drone Attacks

Ukraine has carried out a series of drone attacks against warehouses belonging to Ozon, one of Russia's largest e-commerce companies. A warehouse in the Orenburg region was hit on Sunday, leading to the evacuation of over 300 people and the suspension of operations at the facility. This follows an attack on a separate Ozon complex in the Samara region on Saturday. Local authorities in Orenburg reported that the fire was caused by falling drone debris and that no casualties occurred. Ozon stated that while the affected warehouses are closed, its broader logistics network continues to operate.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense confirmed the attacks, stating that Ozon is being targeted after previous strikes against 15 logistics centers belonging to Wildberries, another Russian e-commerce giant. Ukraine frames these operations as a strategic campaign against economic infrastructure and dual-use goods to complicate Russian logistics and damage its economy. President Volodymyr Zelensky also reported other long-range strikes, including an attack on the Novokuibishevsk refinery and the destruction of a Russian Su-24M bomber in occupied Crimea.

Russian officials have responded to the escalation. President Vladimir Putin warned that Kyiv has opened a box of Pandora with these rear-area attacks and promised a response. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defense systems shot down 328 Ukrainian drones over the course of one night. Separately, a large fire broke out at a warehouse complex in Shushary, near St. Petersburg, covering 82,000 square meters. While Ozon has facilities in the area, reports indicate the fire was 350 meters from the marketplace site, and there is currently no official confirmation that the blaze was caused by a drone attack.