A Ukrainian drone strike targeted a warehouse in St. Petersburg on Friday, resulting in a significant fire, according to local Russian authorities and reports from AFP.
An AFP journalist at the scene observed a thick plume of gray smoke rising over the city.
“St. Petersburg has been attacked by military-grade unmanned aerial vehicles,” stated Governor Alexander Beglov in a social media message.
He noted that the attack was aimed at civil infrastructure facilities and added that resources are being mobilized “to address the aftermath,” without providing further details.
Images circulated on social media and local media indicate that the warehouses belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries were targeted.
The popular Russian company had already been attacked twice in recent days. One of the strikes, near Moscow, resulted in the deaths of eight night-shift workers and led to extensive damage to its facilities.
Ukrainian Campaign Against Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that the company was storing and shipping components subject to sanctions, intended for military equipment production.
Wildberries reported that two of its warehouses in the city temporarily halted operations, although the reason was not specified.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian cities farther from the border as retaliation for Moscow’s daily attacks, part of its offensive launched in February 2022.
This campaign, which Kiev refers to as “long-distance sanctions,” has primarily focused on Russian oil infrastructure, triggering a fuel crisis in one of the world’s largest oil-producing countries.
Since June, nearly 90% of Russian regions have faced fuel rationing or shortages, according to an AFP report based on statements from local authorities and Russian media.
