Ukrainian Attack Sparks Fire at Wildberries Facility in Yekaterinburg

A Ukrainian drone assault sparked a fire at a Wildberries logistics hub situated in Yekaterinburg, a city in Russia's Urals region on Friday morning. According to regional governor Denis Pasler, eight drones were intercepted, with three crashing onto the roof of the facility. Wildberries later confirmed the fire, stating that firefighters have managed to contain it.

The company's spokesperson informed that approximately 800 people were evacuated from the site, and no casualties were reported. Most of the inventory at the Yekaterinburg logistics center remained untouched. To circumvent the disruption, inbound shipments were temporarily rerouted to other logistics centers. Footage from social media platforms depicted evacuating employees as drones struck the roof, accompanied by the sound of gunfire.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported intercepting 203 Ukrainian drones across Russia and the annexed Crimea during the early hours of Thursday and Friday. This incident marks at least the second assault on a Wildberries facility in the Sverdlovsk region since Ukraine initiated its strike operation against the retailer in mid-July.

Kyiv accuses Wildberries of supplying the Russian military with drone components and other equipment. According to satellite imagery analyzed by Reuters, at least 1.18 million square meters of Wildberries storage space, accounting for over 20% of the company's total capacity, has been damaged or destroyed since the onslaught commenced.

In response to the rapid loss of warehouses, Wildberries announced plans to establish new "partner" storage facilities, enabling owners and tenants to open their hubs and charge fees for processing, storing, and shipping goods sold on the platform.