Ukraine Ramps Up Campaign Against Wildberries, Striking Warehouses in Penza and Udmurtia

Ukrainian drones struck warehouses belonging to online retailer Wildberries overnight in central Russia’s Penza region and the republic of Udmurtia, local authorities and the company said Thursday. Penza region Governor Oleg Melnichenko said 200 Wildberries employees had been evacuated and one was injured in an attack. Wildberries confirmed its logistics center in Penza was targeted, adding that it rerouted shipments to other facilities. In the city of Sarapul, located in the republic of Udmurtia around 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Wildberries said it evacuated warehouse employees ahead of an anticipated drone strike that later sparked a fire at the facility. Olga Abramova, who heads Udmurtia, said no one was reported injured and that emergency services were responding to the scene of the attack. The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top investigative body, said it launched terrorism probes following the drone strikes in Penza and Udmurtia. Drone strikes have damaged nearly a dozen Wildberries warehouses over the past two weeks, destroying an estimated 10% of the company’s storage capacity and inflicting losses on tens of thousands of small businesses using the e-commerce platform. Ukraine accuses Wildberries of helping supply the Russian military with parts for drones and other equipment. The company denies the allegations. Meanwhile, in the southern Krasnodar region, Ukrainian drones struck two tanker ships at the Novorossiysk oil terminal, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which operates the terminal, said Thursday morning. The company said oil loading was temporarily halted. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 258 Ukrainian drones in Russia and annexed Crimea between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Separately, in Ukraine, Russia n air strikes killed at least eight people on Thursday, including one in Kyiv, in attacks extending as far as the western city of Lviv, forcing neighboring Poland to scramble fighter jets to secure its airspace. Reuters contributed reporting. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help . Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $ 2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later .