Ukrainian drone strikes kill 2 in Russia, hit another Wildberries warehouse

On Sunday, Ukraine carried out drone strikes in multiple regions of Russia, resulting in at least eight deaths, according to Russian officials. The strikes were launched from hundreds of kilometers away from the front lines, as reported by authorities. The conflict between Moscow and Kyiv has intensified in recent months, with both sides conducting numerous attacks on each other.

Kyiv maintains that the strikes are intended as retaliation for Russia's aggression and to pressure Moscow into negotiations, while Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting civilians. The Ukrainian shelling of Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, led to the deaths of three people. Additionally, a drone attack on a car in the Udmurtia region, situated over 1,000 kilometers from the front line, claimed two more lives.

Governor Olga Abramova expressed her shock, stating that the attack was senseless and that the victims were not military targets. Russian air defense systems intercepted a total of 635 Ukrainian drones overnight, as confirmed by the Russian defense ministry. Among the targets of these strikes was a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, located approximately 800 kilometers away from Ukraine's most advanced military positions within Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian forces have been increasingly targeting economic and energy infrastructure in Russia, aiming to weaken Moscow's capacity to sustain the conflict that has been raging for over four years. The Ukrainian military has struck approximately a dozen Wildberries facilities since July 18 in an attempt to disrupt the operations of the company, often referred to as Russia's answer to Amazon.

Moreover, a residential building in the neighboring Saratov region was hit, resulting in the loss of two lives. Both Saratov city, which houses a significant oil refinery, and Engels, home to one of Russia's largest air force bases, have suffered extensive damage due to repeated Ukrainian attacks. Russian strategic bombers frequently depart from Engels to launch missile strikes against Ukrainian cities, making the city a frequent target of Ukrainian counter-attacks.

The Ukrainian military also confirmed the attacks, stating that they caused fires at the Saratov oil refinery and Engels military base. They also attacked an oil depot in the Kaluga region.