Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouse Deep Inside Russia as Kyiv Expands Long-Range Campaign

MOSCOW/KYIV: Ukrainian long-range drones struck a warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, in the Ural Mountains, more than 2,000 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border, Russian officials and the company said Friday.

The attack set fire to the Wildberries facility in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, highlighting Ukraine’s growing ability to conduct deep strikes inside Russian territory. Regional Governor Denis Pasler said three drones struck the roof of the warehouse, while Kremlin representative Artyom Zhoga said about 800 people were evacuated. No casualties were reported.

Wildberries said most of the merchandise at the facility was not damaged. The warehouse is the latest in a series of company distribution centers targeted in recent weeks. Ukrainian forces have struck more than a dozen Wildberries facilities as part of an expanding campaign against Russian logistics and economic infrastructure.

Kyiv has increasingly relied on domestically developed long-range drones to attack targets far from the front lines, including oil facilities, storage depots and other infrastructure. Ukrainian officials say the strategy is intended to disrupt Russia’s war effort and increase pressure on the Kremlin.

The latest strike comes amid intensified fighting and a continuing exchange of drone and missile attacks between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow has also stepped up its use of ballistic missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities, while Kyiv has sought additional air-defense systems, particularly U.S.-made Patriot interceptors.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country is also accelerating the development of its own ballistic weapons and a new anti-ballistic defense system. He said a joint European initiative involving 10 countries is already underway to develop an anti-ballistic shield.

Zelenskyy has argued that Ukraine’s growing drone capabilities demonstrate the country’s ability to develop advanced military technology despite the ongoing war. Kyiv has reportedly reached drone cooperation agreements with nine countries, with discussions continuing with additional partners.

The attacks on Russian territory have become an increasingly prominent element of Ukraine’s strategy as Russian forces maintain pressure along the front and continue large-scale aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported further Russian drone strikes, including an attack on a market in the northern Sumy region that wounded 10 people. Russia, for its part, said its air defenses had intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones during the latest wave of attacks.

The intensifying long-range strikes underscore the expanding technological dimension of the more than four-year-old war, with both sides increasingly relying on drones and long-range weapons to strike targets far beyond the immediate battlefield.