Investing.com — Ukrainian drones struck logistics hubs operated by Wildberries deep inside Russia, killing at least eight people and expanding Kyiv’s air campaign beyond energy and military infrastructure, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
The attacks hit facilities in the Moscow and Tambov regions, between roughly 300 and 450 miles inside Russian territory. Dozens of people were injured, while large fires forced employees to evacuate the warehouse complexes.
Wildberries is Russia’s largest online retailer and is frequently compared with Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN). The privately held company handles millions of deliveries each week across the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the targeted warehouses supported Russia’s military by distributing sanctioned components used in drones and navigation equipment. Wildberries did not respond to those allegations.
Founder Tatiana Kim described the strikes as “terrible events” for the company and Russia. Wildberries said its supply chains experienced minimal disruption and that customers continued to have access to its products.
The retailer announced payments of two million rubles, about $25,000, to the families of each person killed. Those injured would receive one million rubles.
Russia responded hours later with a barrage of approximately 50 ballistic missiles targeting Kyiv, marking one of the largest missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital during the war.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted multiple missiles, according to accounts from residents. At least one person was killed, and two others were injured, while residential buildings, a supermarket, a warehouse, and dozens of vehicles sustained damage.
Several projectiles struck Kyiv’s Lukyanivka district, which contains military-related industrial facilities. A metro station used by civilians as an air-raid shelter was also damaged.
The warehouse strikes represent a shift in Ukraine’s campaign, which had recently concentrated on Russian refineries and other energy assets. Kyiv has argued that attacks deep inside Russia are intended to disrupt military supply chains and demonstrate the domestic costs of the conflict.
Wildberries was founded in 2004, and Kim’s personal wealth is estimated by Forbes at more than $8 billion.
