On the night of 30 July, Ukrainian drones attacked the Wildberries logistics centre near the village of Mastynivka in the Penza Region of Russia. A major fire broke out at the warehouse, which covers an area of around 90,000 square metres. According to local authorities, one person was injured and around 200 workers were evacuated.
Briefly about the main points
- Drones attacked the Wildberries logistics centre near Penza.
- A fire broke out at a warehouse covering an area of around 90,000 square metres.
- Around 200 staff members were evacuated from the site.
- One person was injured and received medical treatment.
- Wildberries has relocated its supply and dispatch operations to other hubs.
Evacuation and smoke warnings
The complex that came under attack is situated near the village of Mastynivka in the Bessonovsky District, not far from Penza. The distance from the Ukrainian border to the city is approximately 600–700 kilometres.
Governor of the Penza Region Oleg Melnichenko confirmed the drone attack and that a fire was burning on the warehouse premises. Firefighters, rescue workers, the police and medical staff were called in to tackle the blaze.
Videos circulating on social media show thick black smoke rising above the building. One of the employees said that the staff barely managed to leave the premises before the fire broke out.
Mayor of Penza Oleg Denisov He warned residents of a possible acrid smell, as the smoke could drift towards the town depending on the wind. He urged them to keep their windows closed, limit the time spent outdoors with children, and seek medical assistance if they felt unwell.
The company is reorganising its supply chains
Press Office of the merged company Wildberries Russ has confirmed that operations at the Penza facility have been suspended. The receipt of new deliveries and the dispatch of orders have been transferred to other logistics centres in order to minimise delays for sellers and buyers.
The company has not specified a timeline for the complex to resume operations. The hub’s return to full operation once the fire has been extinguished may depend on the extent of damage to the structures, equipment, stock and IT systems.
The attack near Penza was the latest in a series attacks on the Wildberries network in July. The eight depots targeted since the start of the series of attacks collectively accounted for over 10% of the marketplace’s logistics capacity. Rerouting flows to other hubs may place an additional strain on their reception, sorting and delivery operations.
Risks for marketplace sellers
Wildberries is Russia’s largest online retailer: according to Data Insight, between 500,000 and 800,000 sellers sell goods via the platform. Consequently, the impact of a single warehouse being shut down may extend beyond the company itself to affect sellers, carriers and buyers.
The company had previously announced that it would provide voluntary compensation to retailers for goods lost or damaged during previous attacks. At the same time, even a compensation scheme does not necessarily restore sellers’ cash flow immediately: delays in sales and the urgent relocation of stock can result in additional costs.
