Ankara: At least three people were injured Friday after Ukrainian drones struck logistics centers belonging to Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries in St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region, local authorities said.
According to Anadolu Agency, Leningrad Gov. Aleksandr Drozdenko announced on Telegram that a drone strike ignited a fire at the logistics center in the village of Novosaratovka in the Vsevolozhsk district, resulting in injuries to three individuals. In another incident, a separate drone strike led to the collapse of a warehouse at the Severnaya Poultry Farm in the village of Sinyavino in the Kirovsky district, although no injuries were reported.
St. Petersburg Gov. Aleksandr Beglov stated on Telegram that the city experienced a drone attack on Friday morning, prompting the engagement of air defense systems. He reported that civilian infrastructure along the crucial Moskovskoye Highway sustained hits, and emergency services were actively responding to the situation.
Russia's Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case on terrorism, citing what it described as a Ukrainian attack on civilian targets in the Leningrad region. Tatyana Kim, Wildberries founder, revealed on Telegram that the logistics facilities in Shushary and Utkina Zavod in St. Petersburg and the surrounding area, along with those in Simferopol, annexed Crimea, were targeted. However, she noted that swift evacuation of employees prevented injuries.
Wildberries communicated via Telegram that operations at the affected facilities are temporarily halted. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that air defense systems intercepted 571 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, annexed Crimea, and the waters of the Black and Azov seas overnight. Ukraine has yet to comment on these claims, and independent verification remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict.