Drone strike hits Russian oil refinery and Ozon warehouse in Saratov

Ukrainian drones targeted the Ozon warehouse in Saratov, Russia, causing a fire and leading to an evacuation, according to the company. The attack, which occurred overnight, prompted Ozon to halt all orders and deliveries in the Saratov region. Since mid-summer, over two dozen of Ozon's warehouses, as well as those of its main competitor Wildberries, have been attacked.

Videos and photos on social media showed the Saratov warehouse engulfed in flames and thick smoke. Ozon's stock price dropped by 5% on the Moscow Exchange following the news of the attack. Additionally, a separate fire broke out at a Rosneft-owned oil refinery in Saratov, believed to be another target of Ukrainian drones. Governor Roman Busargin of Saratov confirmed damage to civilian infrastructure and reported no casualties.

NASA's fire monitoring service FIRMS detected two active fires near the targeted locations. In the Tula region, two individuals were killed and three injured in a drone strike; in the Belgorod region, one driver was killed, and another passenger injured when a drone struck their vehicle near the Ukrainian border. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 777 Ukrainian drones in the region between Thursday night and Friday morning.

The Moscow Times, an exiled news outlet, criticized Russia's authorities for targeting independent journalism, including labeling The Moscow Times as an "undesirable organization," which could lead to prosecution.