A massive fire erupted at the Wildberries online marketplace complex in Koledino, south of Moscow, early Tuesday following a Ukrainian drone attack. The inferno, which engulfed the 2.7 million-square-foot facility, represents a significant development in the ongoing conflict, with Ukraine claiming the retailer stores military equipment and reports emerging of British-made drones being used for deep strikes on Russian territory.
Moscow officials reported that the city was targeted by at least 600 drones overnight, though Russia's Ministry of Defense stated it destroyed 822. At least six individuals were reported killed in the coordinated attacks. An elderly man died in the Moscow region after a drone struck a private home, and five others were killed in three towns in the southwestern Rostov region.
The destruction of the Wildberries logistics hub, described by some reports as the "Russian Amazon," is seen as a potential psychological blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The online giant is reportedly partially owned by individuals connected to the Kremlin. This incident marks the latest in a series of attacks on Wildberries facilities, which have been targeted due to their alleged role in supplying the Russian military. The fire is also expected to disrupt Moscow's supply chain.
Drone Activity and NATO Response
Adding to the intensity of the overnight assaults, British-made drones have reportedly been used to strike targets on the Russian mainland for the first time. Drones manufactured by two UK companies were supplied to Ukraine for its deep-strike operations. While specific details about the drones used in the Moscow attack were not immediately confirmed, reports suggest Ukraine has deployed British drones with ranges of over 150 miles and others capable of traveling more than 600 miles.
Separately, NATO scrambled a fighter jet to intercept and shoot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace. Two Spanish F-18 jets were deployed after the unmanned aircraft was detected entering the national airspace approximately 14 miles north of Galați. The Romanian defense minister confirmed the drone was intercepted and destroyed in an unpopulated area, emphasizing Romania's defense of its airspace and allied support.
These incursions into NATO states follow a period of concerted attacks on Ukraine's Odesa region, near the Romanian border. There are suspicions that Russia may be deliberately testing NATO responses while using attacks in southern Ukraine as a diversion.
The drone swarm targeting the Moscow region caused significant flight disruptions, with services suspended at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports.
Russian Strikes on Ukraine
Simultaneously, Russia conducted its own series of attacks on Ukraine overnight, utilizing North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles. Kyiv was among the cities hit, along with Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Fires were reported in multiple districts of Kyiv, including at a market in the Obolonskyi district.
Russian forces claimed to have struck key Ukrainian industrial sites, including the ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih mining and metallurgical enterprise, the Kryvyi Rih Cement plant, and storage facilities. The Kremenchuk oil refinery, identified as Ukraine's largest, was also reportedly attacked.
Ukraine also launched a large-scale attack on Friday night into Saturday morning, targeting the Progress Rocket Space Centre in Samara, a facility reportedly involved in developing Russia's version of Starlink satellite internet. This strike may have been intended to disrupt the launch of Rassvet satellites, which Russia is reportedly fast-tracking to provide secure internet for its military communications and drone operations, particularly as Russian forces are banned from using Starlink.