Ukrainian long-range drones attacked the logistics complex of the Russian e-commerce platform Wildberries in Sarapul, Udmurtia. Local Telegram channels have shared footage of an explosion near a large building and thick black smoke rising above the site. The Russian authorities have not yet released any information on the number of drones, the extent of the damage or any possible casualties.
Briefly about the main points
- Drones attacked the Wildberries complex in Sarapul, Udmurtia.
- Videos circulating online show an explosion and black smoke rising above the site.
- Sarapul is situated approximately 1,400 kilometres from Ukraine.
- On 27 July, staff at this complex were evacuated due to an air threat.
- Previous attacks have already forced Wildberries to reroute its supplies.
Explosion near the logistics complex
Footage from local Telegram channels shows an explosion near a large building with a design characteristic of Wildberries’ logistics facilities. Following the explosion, a column of thick black smoke rose above the complex.
The Ukrainian military has not officially commented on the strike. The fact that the drones belong to Ukraine is inferred from reports by Russian sources and the context of a series of long-range attacks on Russian territory.
The staff had already been evacuated before the attack
On the morning of 27 July, during a large-scale air strike on Udmurtia, staff were evacuated from the Wildberries warehouse and sorting centre in Sarapul. The joint venture between Wildberries and Russ stated at the time that the evacuation had been carried out in accordance with safety requirements.
According to preliminary reports, that incident did not cause any damage to the warehouse, after which the facility resumed operations. The current attack is different: in the footage that has been released, the explosion can be seen taking place right next to the complex.
A series of attacks is disrupting the marketplace’s logistics
In July, drones attacked or disrupted logistics operations Wildberries properties in the Moscow, Ryazan, Penza, Tambov, Leningrad and Sverdlovsk regions, the Krasnodar Krai, Udmurtia and the temporarily occupied Crimea. In particular, there were reports of fires at warehouses in Koledino, Ryazan, Elektrostal, Kotovsk, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk and Simferopol.
Reuters, citing figures from *Kommersant*, reported on 23 July that previous attacks had affected around 552,000 square metres of Wildberries« warehouse space — approximately 10% of its logistics capacity. The company had already redirected deliveries to other warehouses, whilst Russian media reported that consideration of a lease additional premises in Kazakhstan.
Sarapul lies on the Kama River in the south-eastern part of Udmurtia, approximately 1,400 kilometres from the nearest section of the Ukrainian border. If the complex’s operations are disrupted, this could place an additional strain on other nodes in the Wildberries network and affect order processing times.
