Ukrainian Drone Strike Sets Russia’s ‘Amazon’ Warehouse Ablaze Near Saint Petersburg

A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, near Saint Petersburg early Friday, injuring three people and disrupting flight operations, according to Russian officials.
The overnight strike sent thick grey smoke billowing across parts of the historic city, with an AFP reporter witnessing smoke rising above residential high-rise buildings. Saint Petersburg is located more than 800 kilometres (500 miles) from Ukraine’s border.

Wildberries Warehouse Targeted

The governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, confirmed that a Wildberries warehouse caught fire after the attack.

“Three people were wounded,” Drozdenko said in a post on social media.

The incident marks the third overnight Ukrainian strike on Wildberries facilities within the past week.

Last weekend, another logistics hub operated by the company outside Moscow was hit, leaving eight night-shift workers dead and destroying the facility.

Following that attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged that the warehouses were being used to supply sanctioned components for drone manufacturing and navigation equipment.

Airport Operations Temporarily Suspended

The drone attack also affected air travel, with Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg temporarily halting flight operations as a safety precaution.

Airport services resumed around 6:00 a.m. (0300 GMT), although approximately 50 departing flights were disrupted.

Wildberries later confirmed that two of its warehouses in Saint Petersburg had temporarily suspended operations but did not provide further details.

Governor Drozdenko also stated that 59 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and shot down during the overnight assault.

Kyiv Expands Long-Range Drone Campaign

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy, military and logistics infrastructure as part of what Kyiv describes as its “long-range sanctions” campaign.

Ukrainian authorities argue that the strikes are a justified response to Russia’s continued drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

According to Kyiv, the sustained campaign has contributed to fuel shortages in Russia while putting pressure on Moscow’s financial resources used to sustain the war.

Russian authorities rarely acknowledge successful Ukrainian strikes on strategic targets, often reporting only the number of drones intercepted or attributing damage to falling debris.

War Escalates Amid Stalled Peace Efforts

Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified their long-range attacks in recent months.

Russian forces have stepped up ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, resulting in dozens of deaths and extensive damage to residential buildings.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to support Ukraine’s counterattacks, describing the strikes as “an escalation that can lead to an end.”

However, diplomatic efforts by Washington to broker a peace agreement have made little progress, while the United States remains engaged in its own conflict involving Iran.

The Kremlin has maintained its hardline position, insisting Ukraine must permanently surrender territories still under its control and abandon Western military support.

Russian officials have also warned that Ukraine’s drone attacks would only strengthen Moscow’s resolve to continue the war and expand military operations in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Civilian Death Toll Continues to Rise

The United Nations has reported a sharp increase in civilian casualties in 2026, describing June as the deadliest month since the middle of 2022.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians have reportedly been killed, although no verified overall casualty figure exists as neither side regularly discloses its military losses.

Amid the ongoing conflict, President Zelensky has also reshuffled Ukraine’s military leadership, replacing both the defence minister and the commander-in-chief in the past week following reported disagreements over military reform.