Officials: Ukrainian drones hit warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer, eight people killed

Eight people were killed and 62 injured after Ukrainian drones hit two warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries, Russian officials said, the British media outlet BBC reported today.

Seven people were killed and 25 injured at a warehouse in the city of Tambov, about 475 kilometers southeast of Moscow. One person was killed and 37 injured at another Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal, Moscow Region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks hit "large logistics facilities" that were used to "supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment."

He added that Ukraine also hit targets in the Azov and Black Seas, as well as in Crimea, which Russia annexed.

Unconfirmed footage from the scene of one of the warehouse attacks showed flames and huge columns of black smoke rising from a large logistics facility, as dozens of workers fled towards the parking lot, according to the BBC.

Zelensky said Ukraine's operations were a response to "Russian attacks on our civilian infrastructure, cities and communities." Russian attacks across Ukraine overnight on Wednesday killed 14 people.

Wildberries is often described as Russia's equivalent of Amazon. The combined RWB group, which includes Wildberries and advertising company Russ, is valued at around $12,6 billion (£9,3 billion) in 2026, according to Forbes Russia.

Wildberries CEO Tatyana Kim said it was a "terrible night" for Russia and the company.

"Seven people working the night shift died on the spot," Tambov Oblast Governor Yevgeny Pervishov wrote on Telegram, adding that 28 drones were also shot down during the approach.

He said 25 people were injured, seven of whom were in serious condition. Most of the injuries, he said, were caused by shrapnel.

It was the "largest and most inhumane" attack on the Tambov region, given the number of drones used and the number of victims, he said.

Meanwhile, Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said that eight people injured in the attack on the Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal are in "serious condition."

He added that a total of 48 drones were shot down in the Moscow region overnight and that a Russian oil depot was also hit by fragments of a downed drone, which he described as an incident with "the most serious consequences."

"Firefighters, emergency services and the Ministry of Emergency Situations continue to work at the scene," he wrote on Telegram. He did not describe the extent of the damage in detail. Zelensky separately confirmed that Ukraine had hit an "oil facility."

Ukraine has recently stepped up long-range drone attacks on key Russian energy infrastructure, causing widespread fuel shortages. Kiev said earlier this month that the attacks had "disabled" nearly 43 percent of Russia's oil refining capacity.

The BBC could not independently confirm this information.

Ukraine says Russian oil and gas facilities are legitimate targets because Moscow relies heavily on fossil fuel exports to finance its full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last month made a rare public admission that fuel shortages were caused by Ukrainian attacks, and in early July he signed a law aimed at increasing fuel supplies to the domestic market.