SerpApi.Org
In recent days, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces have struck four major logistics centers operated by Russian online marketplace Wildberries. Online, the attacks have been described as a response to the destruction of Ukrainian logistics hubs and Nova Poshta branches, which are regularly targeted by Russian strikes.
Russia has traditionally justified strikes on Nova Poshta facilities by claiming the company handles “military shipments” and stores drones and other weapons at its warehouses. At the same time, Moscow describes attacks on Wildberries logistics centers as “terrorist” acts.
Read also: Massive Wildberries warehouse fire sends smoke over Krasnodar
Analysts at Defense Express found FPV drones, hexacopters and components for unmanned systems that could be used in combat among products sold on the marketplace. They include fiber-optic spools for attack FPV drones and electronic components for their assembly and operation, including flight controllers, ground modules for fiber-optic systems, motors, release mechanisms, initiation boards and other parts.
Wildberries also openly sells sights for small arms, military equipment, armor plates and other products that could be used to supply Russian troops.
“All of this makes Wildberries logistics centers legitimate military targets. But strikes on such centers are useful not only because they destroy goods intended to supply the occupying army. They also inflict significant losses on Russian companies whose taxes support Russia’s economy and help finance its war against Ukraine,” the analysts said.
Wildberries is Russia’s largest online marketplace, with annual turnover exceeding 6.1 trillion rubles. Damage to its logistics infrastructure also creates problems for thousands of small sellers, who could lose their inventories and be forced to shut down their businesses.
Read also: Roman Tsymbaliuk: Why Wildberries strikes hurt Russia more than refinery attacks
On July 23, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that Ukrainian drone strikes had damaged or destroyed about 10% of Wildberries’ logistics capacity in Russia over the past week.
Attacks on logistics centers
Overnight on July 23, drones attacked the Russian city of Voronezh, where monitoring Telegram channels said a Wildberries logistics hub was among the possible targets.
Overnight on July 22, Ukrainian drones struck two major Wildberries logistics centers in southern Russia — a facility of about 100,000 square meters in Krasnodar and another of about 90,000 square meters in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Oblast.
Read also: Drones target Wildberries logistics hub in Voronezh in massive raid
Explosions were also reported that night in Armavir, Krasnodar Krai, where an oil depot was reportedly targeted and a fire broke out. Wildberries owner Tatyana Kim confirmed attacks on both logistics centers, saying personnel were quickly evacuated from the facilities.
On July 20, drones carried out a large-scale attack on Russia’s Moscow Oblast. A fire engulfed another Wildberries warehouse in Podolsk, while the Yuzhnye Vorota industrial park in Domodedovo was also hit.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Section: Nation
Author: Альона Сонько
