The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate. On Sunday, August 2nd, both countries carried out air raids, resulting in at least 14 fatalities. Ukraine once again targeted the logistics facilities of Wildberries, the largest online retailer in Russia, while Russian forces continued to bomb civilian infrastructure in multiple locations in Ukraine.
According to a report by The Guardian, Russian officials stated that the Ukrainian drone attacks led to at least 9 deaths. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, the governor of Samara Oblast, mentioned that a Wildberries logistics warehouse was attacked by drones, causing a fire but fortunately no casualties. The warehouse is approximately 800 kilometers away from the Ukrainian front line.
Wildberries, often referred to as the “Russian version of Amazon,” is a key player in the Russian consumer economy. On Monday, August 3rd, the company reported that another logistics center in the Vladimir region was attacked and caught fire. All employees were safely evacuated, with no reports of casualties.
Since July 18th, Ukrainian forces have targeted over a dozen Wildberries facilities in an attempt to undermine their logistics capabilities.
In addition, Olga Abramova, the Acting Head of Udmurtia, stated that the Ukrainian drone strikes resulted in 3 deaths and 2 injuries.
Belgorod Oblast, near the Ukrainian border, was also hit by air raids, leading to 3 deaths and 5 injuries.
On the other side, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian airstrikes led to at least 5 deaths. Two fatalities occurred in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and at least 1 person each in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts. Nova Poshta, a Ukrainian postal company, confirmed that a postal logistics center in Kharkiv was attacked by Russian forces, resulting in the death of an employee.
The Ukrainian military claimed successful strikes on the Saratov oil refinery, Engels military airbase, and an oil depot in Kaluga, all resulting in fires.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian forces attacked the port infrastructure of Mykolaiv in Ukraine, two vessels transporting military supplies, and a vessel carrying military cargo in the Black Sea.
The European Union continues to strengthen scrutiny on the Russian “shadow fleet,” which is suspected of aiding Moscow in evading oil sanctions. An EU naval force led by Italy boarded an oil tanker named “Toa Payoh” on Sunday. The Italian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the tanker was under EU sanctions and was sailing from Benin, Africa to Istanbul, Turkey when boarded for inspection west of Pantelleria Island in Sicily.
This marks the EU’s second interception in less than two weeks of vessels suspected of assisting Russia’s “shadow fleet,” indicating that Europe is intensifying enforcement efforts.