In brief
Ukrainian drones have attacked several logistics warehouses of Russia’s largest e‑commerce platform, Ozon, causing fires, injuries and a spike in share prices. The strikes have forced the company to evacuate staff and prompted the Kremlin to promise support. The move marks a shift in the conflict, highlighting the vulnerability of dual‑use logistics and the civilian impact of wartime targeting.
Ukraine’s Drone Attacks Ignite Fires at Russia’s Ozon Warehouses
On Monday morning, Ukrainian drones struck Ozon’s warehouses in the southern Russian regions of Krasnodar, Dagestan, Stavropol and Adygea, setting the facilities ablaze and injuring workers. Two major fires were reported, one in Makhachkala at around 02:00 GMT, and another in Krasnodar, 700km west of the Dagestan site.
The attacks have resulted in casualties, with Russia’s defence ministry confirming the death of three children aged 13, 15 and 16 in Krasnodar, and six more seeking hospital treatment. Ozon, founded in 1998, is the country’s second‑largest online retailer, behind Wildberries, and it operates thousands of pick‑up points and delivery boxes across Russia.
Ozon’s shares fell up to 12% on the Moscow Exchange, while its major shareholder, private equity firm AFK Sistema, saw its value drop by almost 13%. In response, the Kremlin said it was “working with business representatives to develop various options for providing support” to the company amid the crisis.
The drone strikes follow a pattern of Ukraine’s recent targeting of Russian logistics hubs, which it says disrupt supply chains for the Russian military. Ukraine’s defence ministry has described these attacks as “systematic strikes on dual‑use goods storage centres that complicate the enemy’s logistics and negatively affect the Russian economy as a whole.”
Both Ozon and its rival Wildberries are often dubbed “Russia’s Amazon,” serving 85‑90% of the country’s economically active population. In many remote regions lacking physical stores, Russians rely on these platforms for everyday supplies, making the attacks feel like a direct wound to ordinary citizens. The Kremlin has denied that the platforms are used for army supplies.
