Ukraine Strikes Russian Drone Development University, Wildberries Logistics Hub, Crimea in Overnight Raid

Ukrainian drones struck targets across Russia and occupied Crimea early Monday, Aug. 3, hitting a university in Belgorod reportedly involved in drone technology development, a major Wildberries logistics hub in Vladimir region, and several locations in Crimea, according to Russian and Ukrainian sources. In Belgorod, drones attacked the Belgorod State Technological University (BSTU named after V.G. Shukhov), local outlet Pepel reported. Several strikes on the university grounds triggered a large fire, destroying one of the buildings.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The facility reportedly housed the development and testing of an automated drone control system based on the Russian-made “Milandr” microprocessor. The university previously said the technology had civilian applications, including monitoring power lines, heating infrastructure and aerial photography. BSTU had also launched summer courses for school students focused on drone development. Russian authorities have not officially confirmed the strike on the university. A separate drone attack hit a warehouse complex in Russia’s Vladimir region, Governor Alexander Avdeyev said. “People have been evacuated. Emergency services are working at the scene,” Avdeyev wrote on Telegram. Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ identified the target as Wildberries’ “Vladimir – Vorshinskoye” logistics center. Videos from the scene appeared to show at least one drone striking the warehouse before a fire broke out. Other Topics of Interest Russian Arms Shipment Reaches Mali via Togo A sanctioned Russian cargo ship, escorted by a naval vessel, delivered armored vehicles to Mali’s ruling junta via Togo amid recent rebel advances. The 58,500-square-meter (14.5-acre) facility opened in December 2024 and was due to expand to 175,000 square meters (43 acres) this year. It serves as a distribution hub for Moscow, central Russia and the country’s northwest. The strike appears to be part of a broader Ukrainian campaign against Wildberries’ logistics network. According to Russian outlet Agentstvo, Ukrainian forces have targeted at least 18 Wildberries facilities over the past two weeks, damaging warehouses with a combined area of around 1 million square meters (247 acres) – about 38% of the retailer’s largest logistics hubs. Among the largest facilities hit are warehouses in Elektrostal, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Tambov and Volgograd, with several suffering major fires and extensive damage. Agentstvo estimated that logistics centers accounting for roughly 60% of Wildberries’ major warehouse capacity have now been targeted, suggesting Kyiv is increasingly seeking to disrupt Russia’s logistics infrastructure alongside military and energy assets. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones also targeted Russian-occupied Crimea overnight, according to Ukrainian monitoring channels Crimean Wind and Exilenova+. Explosions were reported in the Saky district, Feodosia, Simferopol and Kerch. In Feodosia, Russian mobile air defense units attempted to intercept a drone, but it may have struck an area near a local oil depot, the channels reported. In Kerch, a fire broke out near the Central Market and bus station, close to the Kerch port. Residents reported flames near the port area. Traffic on the Crimean Bridge was temporarily suspended amid the overnight attacks. Alisa is the Head of News and a correspondent at Kyiv Post, where she leads the newsroom’s coverage of breaking events and global developments. With over seven years of experience in TV journalism, Alisa has reported on international and Ukrainian politics, making complex stories easier to understand. Back in September 2022, Alisa joined the Kyiv Post team.