Ukraine's 1,500-Drone Barrage Hits Russia's "Amazon"
Ukraine has carried out its most extensive drone assault of the year, sending an estimated 1,500 unmanned aircraft across Russian territory in a single overnight operation. The scale of the attack, and the range of targets hit, mark a significant escalation in Kyiv's campaign to disrupt Russia's military logistics and wartime economy.
Among the hardest-hit targets was Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, often compared to Amazon. Ukrainian officials say the company's sprawling distribution network has been repurposed to store and move military equipment, a claim Moscow firmly denies.
Fires Engulf Major Wildberries Facilities
The strikes ignited a massive fire at Wildberries' primary distribution center in Koledino, near Podolsk, a facility spanning roughly 250,000 square meters that was reportedly disabled entirely by the blaze. A second major sorting complex in nearby Domodedovo was also hit and set ablaze during the same wave of attacks.
According to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, this latest strike brings the total to seven out of Wildberries' ten largest logistics hubs across Russia that have now been damaged or destroyed in recent weeks, pointing to a sustained and deliberate campaign rather than a one-off operation.
Why Kyiv Is Targeting a Retail Giant
Ukraine's justification for striking a civilian e-commerce company centers on claims that Wildberries' vast warehouse network is being used by the Kremlin to store and distribute combat gear, body armor, and drone components. Kyiv frames this as converting ordinary retail infrastructure into a de facto military supply chain.
The Kremlin has strongly rejected this characterization, denying that Wildberries facilities serve any military purpose. The dispute highlights how difficult it has become to draw clean lines between civilian and military infrastructure as the war grinds on.
The Scale of the Assault
Russia's Ministry of Defense reported shooting down 1,478 Ukrainian drones within a 24-hour period, a figure that, if accurate, underscores just how large this single wave of attacks truly was. More than 600 long-range drones were reportedly aimed at the Moscow region alone.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov both described the assault as among the most intense drone barrages the region has experienced. Flight operations at major Moscow airports were temporarily suspended as a result of the attack, adding to the disruption felt far beyond the immediate strike zones.
Casualties and the Toll on Russian Soil
At least six people were killed across various Russian regions in the assault. Among them was an 83-year-old man in the Moscow suburbs, who died when a drone struck his home, a stark illustration of how these long-range strikes are increasingly reaching civilian areas far from the front lines.
Beyond Moscow, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed a separate successful strike deeper inside Russian territory, damaging explosive and rocket fuel production workshops at the Kamensk-Shakhtinsky military-industrial plant, expanding the scope of the night's operations well past the capital region.
Russia Strikes Back
Moscow responded swiftly, launching heavy missile and drone bombardments across 13 locations in Ukraine. Among the most devastating was a ballistic missile strike on Kyiv that hit the historic Petrovka book market, destroying thousands of rare books along with the livelihoods of vendors who had worked there for years.
The exchange illustrates how quickly retaliation follows escalation in this conflict, with each side's strikes prompting an almost immediate response from the other, leaving both military and civilian infrastructure caught in the crossfire.
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