Ukrainian drones struck two warehouse complexes belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, in the southern Krasnodar and Stavropol regions overnight, the company's founder Tatyana Kim said on Wednesday. Kim said distribution centres in Krasnodar and the Stavropol region were hit, though she did not specify how many workers were injured.
Wildberries warehouse complexes in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, in the Stavropol region, were struck according to Kim, and five people sought medical assistance after the drone strike on the Nevinnomyssk complex. A local state of emergency was declared in Nevinnomyssk as firefighters battled the blaze, regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov said.
In a separate strike, one person was killed and ten others injured in a large-scale drone attack on the Krasnodar region, according to regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev, who said drone debris hit an industrial facility in Armavir, killing an employee, while ten people were hurt in the attack on the warehouse complex in Krasnodar. More than 100 firefighters and a specialised helicopter were deployed to extinguish the blaze at the Krasnodar warehouse, authorities said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strikes, accusing Wildberries of helping supply the Russian military with parts for drones and other equipment. Kim wrote on Telegram that "there are no words" to describe the emotions caused by attacks on her employees.
The overnight strikes were the third wave against Wildberries logistics infrastructure in less than a week, following earlier attacks on 18 and 20 July. Those strikes hit Wildberries distribution centres in the Moscow and Tambov regions and killed eight workers. Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under Article 205 of the criminal code, which covers terrorist acts, over the attacks on the Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk facilities.
Source: Reuters
