Belgorod came under a massive missile attack on the evening of 30 August. Alexander Shuvaev, acting governor of the Belgorod Region, confirmed the attack, several fires and casualties. The Ozon marketplace reported that its sorting centre and delivery hub had been hit and temporarily suspended the acceptance and delivery of orders in the city and the region.
Briefly about the main points
- Explosions were heard in Belgorod following the announcement of a missile alert.
- The Russian authorities have reported several fires and casualties.
- Ozon evacuated staff from the damaged logistics facilities.
- Order collection and delivery in this region are temporarily unavailable.
- Information on damage to thermal power stations and substations is being received via local channels.
Explosions were heard in several parts of the city
A missile alert was issued in Belgorod prior to the explosions. Large plumes of smoke subsequently rose above several districts, whilst local media and Telegram channels described the attack as a missile strike.
Shuvaev did not specify the exact number of casualties. The emergency services are continuing to work at the sites of the strikes, and the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
The authorities have not provided detailed information regarding the CHP plants and substations
Local TV channels and footage from the public domain reported a fire on the premises of, or near, the Belgorod Combined Heat and Power Station. The footage also shows isolated plumes of smoke in various parts of the city.
In addition, there have been reports of possible strikes on electricity substations. The Russian authorities have not published a list of damaged energy infrastructure, so information about specific damage to thermal power stations and substations is based on data from local sources and video footage.
The fire at the Ozon premises has been brought under control and staff have been evacuated
A major fire also broke out at the «Estate Logistic» logistics complex. Local sources reported that at least two warehouses used by Ozon; thick black smoke rose from the warehouse area.
The company reported that staff had been evacuated and, according to its preliminary information, that there were casualties. Emergency services have contained the fire on the premises. Ozon plans to resume operations at the hub once the damage caused by the attack has been repaired.
The August attacks have already affected the marketplaces’ warehouse network
Throughout August, Ozon reported attacks on logistics facilities in other regions of Russia. The editorial team at Ukrmedia.news wrote regarding attacks on the company’s hubs in Makhachkala and Enemi, following which operations at a number of centres were temporarily suspended.
The network of another Russian marketplace, Wildberries, was also hit. Following an attack on 26 August in the Tambov Region, a large company warehouse covering an area of around 100,000 square metres was destroyed.
