Ukraine Targets E-Commerce Giant Wildberries Again, Strikes Ryazan Oil Refinery in Latest Drone Wave

Ukraine launched a wave of overnight drone strikes deep into Russia early Wednesday, hitting a major Wildberries logistics hub in the Ryazan region and reportedly setting fire to one of the country’s largest oil refineries, according to Russian officials and Ukrainian monitoring channels. Ryazan region Governor Pavel Malkov said drone debris sparked fires at industrial facilities, leaving six people hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. He did not identify the targeted sites and urged residents not to publish photos or videos of the aftermath.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Footage analyzed by Russian independent outlet Astra indicates one of the main targets was a Wildberries sorting center in the Ryazansky Industrial Park near the village of Tyushevo. Wildberries later confirmed it had evacuated staff from the facility and restricted access following the strike. “Goods stored at the warehouse have been temporarily removed from sale,” the company said in a notice to sellers. Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ also reported a fire at Rosneft’s Ryazan oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest fuel-processing facilities. The refinery was previously forced to suspend operations after a Ukrainian drone attack in mid-May. Reuters previously reported, citing industry sources, that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries since the start of the year had reduced gasoline production to around 65% of average summer demand by early July. Other Topics of Interest Sybiha Says Ukraine Wants to Avoid Escalation With Iran Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Sybiha held his first-ever call with his Iranian counterpart, following a deadly strike on an Iranian vessel. Elsewhere, authorities in Russia’s Rostov region said Ukraine struck the city of Taganrog overnight. Regional Governor Yury Slyusar said a woman was killed and a man injured after debris from what he described as a missile hit a residential apartment building. Residents were evacuated, while Taganrog Mayor Svetlana Kambulova said several private homes and commercial properties were damaged. The latest attacks come as Ukraine expands its campaign against Russia’s military logistics and energy infrastructure. On July 18, Ukrainian drones struck two Wildberries logistics centers in Russia’s Tambov region, and in four days, two others in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region and Nevinnomyssk. On July 24, Wildberries warehouses near St. Petersburg were struck, with more being hit in Yekaterinburg, approximately 1,738 kilometers (1,080 miles) from the Ukrainian border, a day later. Often called “Russia’s Amazon,” Wildberries is the country’s largest online retailer, handling around 20 million orders every day. Together with e-commerce giant Ozon, it accounts for roughly 8.5% of Russia’s GDP and employs more than 5% of the country’s workforce. Ukraine says these facilities were not simply civilian warehouses. Kyiv claims they were used to store and move sanctioned electronics, navigation equipment and other components that can support Russia’s military production, including its drone industry. According to Data Insight analyst Sergei Semko, cited by Forbes, goods destroyed in warehouse fires in the Moscow and Tambov regions alone were worth an estimated 170 billion to 230 billion rubles. The company had altered its policies to not compensate Russian businesses days before the major attacks, with accounts of bankruptcies and tearful Russians appealing for help emerging from the country following the strikes. Sellers have complained that initial compensation payments from Wildberries covered only a fraction of their losses, with most reimbursed for just 10% to 40% of the value of lost inventory, and some receiving as little as 3% to 5%. 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.