Ukraine launched drone attacks on multiple logistics centers of Russia’s second-largest online retailer, Ozon, in the southern part of Russia on Monday (August 24). Ozon stated that four facilities were targeted on that day, and at least six Ozon facilities have been attacked since August 22.
One of the logistics centers located in Makhachkala, the capital of the Republic of Dagestan in Russia, caught fire after the drone strike, leading to the suspension of operations at the facility.
According to Ozon, there were preliminary reports of several injuries. However, the company assured that the injured individuals are not in life-threatening conditions.
A video circulating on social media shows multiple drones flying towards the warehouse in Dagestan early Monday morning, followed by explosions and fires.
In the Krasnodar region, a blaze broke out at an Ozon logistics center in Enem. Ozon confirmed that all employees had been evacuated with no casualties reported.
Due to the threat of drone attacks, Ozon warehouses in Adygeysk in the Republic of Adygea and Nevinnomyssk in the Stavropol region also evacuated their staff, albeit with no damage reported at both facilities.
This recent escalation is part of Ukraine’s expanded efforts to target Russia’s major e-commerce logistics network. After Wildberries, Ozon has become the second large Russian e-commerce enterprise to be targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes.
Ukraine claims that the warehouses operated by these retailers store dual-use items for military and civilian purposes, serving as a supply network supporting the Russian military. Previously, Ukraine has continuously attacked the logistics facilities under Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated, “After Ukrainian forces targeted the 15 largest logistics centers of Wildberries, it’s now Ozon’s turn.”
Kyiv officials also accused Wildberries of supplying drone parts and other equipment to the Russian military.
Following the Ukrainian drone attack last Saturday (August 22) that halted operations at an Ozon logistics center in the Samara region, another facility in the Orenburg region became the target over the weekend, causing hundreds of employees to evacuate.
The news of the attacks also severely impacted Ozon’s stock prices. The company’s stock plummeted around 12% in early trading on the Moscow Exchange on Monday, with further decline pushing the intra-day drop to over 25%. The main shareholder of Ozon, AFK Sistema, also saw its stock price fall by almost 13%.