Ukrainian Drone Strike Sparks Fire at Russian E-Commerce Warehouse Near Saint Petersburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Ukrainian drones struck a warehouse belonging to Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, near Saint Petersburg early Friday, triggering a fire that injured three people and temporarily disrupted flights at the city's main airport, according to Russian officials.

Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said the warehouse caught fire after the strike, leaving three people wounded. An AFP reporter in Saint Petersburg saw thick grey smoke rising over the city, located more than 800 kilometres (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 571 Ukrainian drones overnight across more than a dozen regions and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, describing it as one of the largest drone attacks in recent weeks.

The strike marks the third overnight attack on Wildberries facilities within the past week. Last weekend, Ukrainian drone strikes destroyed one of the company's main warehouses outside Moscow, killing eight night-shift workers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously claimed the targeted Wildberries facilities were being used to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.

Kyiv has intensified its long-range drone campaign against Russian energy, military, and logistics infrastructure, calling the strikes "long-range sanctions" and describing them as retaliation for Russia's continued missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The attacks have also affected transportation. Saint Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport suspended flights during the drone assault before resuming operations at around 6:00 a.m. local time, with approximately 50 departures disrupted.