Ukrainian drone struck a Wildberries warehouse in Yekaterinburg early Friday, sparking a fire and grounding flights at Koltsovo Airport. The site sits roughly 1,700–2,000 km from the front line, depending on whether the distance is measured from the border or the active front, making it one of the deepest hits yet in the campaign against the retailer’s logistics network — comparable to a strike from Kyiv reaching London. Governor Denis Pasler said eight drones were shot down over the region, yet the fire and airport disruption sit awkwardly next to his and Wildberries’ claim that the facility itself went untouched, according to Mezha, citing RFE/RL.
The strikes exploit what Ukrainian officials describe as a gray-zone supply chain: Russian volunteer units and local commanders have used the marketplace to buy commercial FPV drones, fiber-optic cable and tactical gear at scale, sidestepping slower military procurement, according to Meduza.
Wildberries has told sellers that drone strikes count as force majeure, freeing it from compensating merchants for burned inventory, according to The Moscow Times.
Ukrainian officials have framed the campaign as retaliation for Russian strikes on Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s postal network, according to RBC-Ukraine.
