From the Front Line to Yekaterinburg: How Ukrainian Drones Reached the Russian Hinterland

    Ukraine continues to expand the geographic scope of its strikes on Russian territory, targeting facilities belonging to Wildberries, one of Russia’s largest online retailers. The latest attack targeted a logistics complex operated by the company in Yekaterinburg, located more than 2,000 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border.

    According to Russian regional authorities, several drones crashed onto the roof of the logistics facility during the attack, triggering a fire at the warehouse. Sverdlovsk Region Governor Denis Pasler said Russian air defenses had shot down eight drones, while debris from three of them landed on the roof of the building. Around 800 people were evacuated from the complex. No deaths or injuries were reported. Wildberries said the fire was brought under control and that most of the goods stored at the facility were not damaged.

    The attack on Yekaterinburg was the latest episode in an ongoing campaign targeting Wildberries’ logistics infrastructure. Since July 18, Ukrainian drones have attacked at least 20 of the company’s facilities across different regions of Russia. Some warehouses have been severely damaged or completely destroyed, creating problems not only for the company itself but also for tens of thousands of businesses that rely on Wildberries to sell their products.

    A satellite analysis conducted by Reuters illustrates the scale of the damage. Since the beginning of the campaign, at least 1.18 million square meters of warehouse space have been damaged or destroyed, representing more than one-fifth of Wildberries’ total warehouse capacity. As a result, the company has faced serious disruptions to its logistics network, which extends across virtually the entire Russian territory.

    The consequences of the attacks are already extending beyond the facilities directly hit. Wildberries has announced that it is seeking partners capable of providing additional warehouse space and establishing so-called partner hubs. The company has begun accepting applications from owners and tenants of suitable properties across Russia in an effort to compensate for the loss of warehouse capacity.

    The disruptions have also affected businesses operating through the marketplace. Owners of pickup points have reported significant declines in sales due to reduced deliveries. One Moscow-based Wildberries partner said its sales had fallen by approximately 50% because goods were no longer arriving in the same volumes as before. As a result, attacks on individual warehouses are gradually turning into a broader problem for Russia’s e-commerce market.

    Ukraine views such attacks as part of a strategy aimed at bringing the consequences of the war directly onto Russian territory and increasing the economic costs for Moscow. Kyiv has also accused Wildberries of contributing to Russia’s military economy. The Russian company, for its part, has condemned the attacks, describing them as terrorist attacks.

    Drones: A Symbol of Modern Warfare, Including the War in Ukraine

    The geography of the latest strikes is particularly significant. Yekaterinburg lies deep inside Russia, roughly 1,400 kilometers east of Moscow and more than 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The attack therefore demonstrates the ability of Ukrainian drone systems to reach targets at considerable distances from the front line.

    Against the backdrop of increasingly long-range Ukrainian strikes, Russian authorities have been taking additional measures to protect critical infrastructure. On August 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the Security Council, where, according to the Kremlin, additional measures to strengthen the protection of infrastructure facilities were discussed.


    The campaign against Wildberries illustrates the changing nature of Ukraine’s long-range strikes. Alongside traditional military and energy targets, major civilian logistics networks linked to Russia’s economic activity are increasingly coming under attack. The campaign allows Kyiv both to demonstrate its long-range drone capabilities and to impose additional costs on the Russian economy.

    The scale of the damage to Wildberries is already becoming systemic. If the attacks continue, the company will have to redistribute cargo flows between regions, search for new warehouse capacity and increase logistics spending. This could potentially affect not only Wildberries itself, but also sellers, transport companies and millions of Russian consumers who depend on the country’s largest online marketplaces.


    #RUSSIA
    #UKRAINE
    #MILITARY REVIEW

    08.08.2026 06:44