Drone strike sets fire to Ozon warehouse in southern Russia

A drone attack early Wednesday, November 4, set fire to a logistics center run by Russian e-commerce company Ozon in Adygeysk, in southern Russia's Republic of Adygea. The company and a regional official both confirmed the strike, Reuters reported. It was the second time the Adygeysk site has been targeted. The strike is part of a Ukrainian campaign that has hit dozens of large warehouses belonging to Ozon and its rival Wildberries since July, with the aim of disrupting Russia's economy and its war effort.reuters.com

Orders cancelled, staff evacuated

"Our logistics centre in the Adygea Republic was attacked by a drone," Ozon said in a statement. "We immediately evacuated all employees, and so far, no one has been injured. A fire broke out, and emergency services are currently on the scene," according to the Kyiv Independent. The company said it has removed goods stored at the site from its online store and will cancel orders it cannot fill from other warehouses. It has also stopped taking deliveries from sellers at the center and is sending shipments already on the way to other facilities, Kyiv Post reported.kyivpost.com+1

The center opened in late 2023, employs more than 1,500 people and is one of Ozon's main logistics hubs for southern Russia, The Moscow Times reported. Russian outlet Astra said eyewitness photos and videos showed that part of the roof had collapsed, Ukrinform reported. Adygea's head, Murat Kumpilov, said on Telegram that drone debris also damaged a gas pipe and the windows of a private house in the village of Petrov. No one was hurt there, according to Caucasian Knot. Ukraine did not comment. Ozon shares were slightly lower on the Moscow Exchange on Wednesday.themoscowtimes.com+3

A widening campaign against retailers

Ozon did not say who was behind the attack. Kyiv accuses Ozon and Wildberries of supporting Vladimir Putin's war effort, The Independent reported. Ukraine says the warehouses are used to supply "sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment." The Kremlin calls the strikes "acts of terrorism" against civilian sites, according to Meduza.independent.co.uk+1

Ukraine first struck Wildberries in mid-July and added Ozon in late August, hitting six of its facilities in three days. By late October, Reuters' analysis of satellite images found that more than 20 warehouses had been attacked, with at least 1.9 million square meters of space badly damaged by fire. In its financial results last week, Ozon said it expected to lose 30.1 billion roubles from drone attacks on 11 of its sites.reuters.com+1

Both sides have stepped up the air war ahead of US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for November 10–11.reuters.com