Putin’s home city burns, as air defense fails against Ukraine’s drones

A wave of long-range drone strikes has targeted massive supply hubs belonging to Wildberries, the popular e-commerce company often known as the Russian Amazon.

Black smoke rose over Saint Petersburg, Vladimir Putin’s city of birth, after Ukrainian aircraft hit warehouses in the city. Minutes later, a second strike landed at another company facility located just six miles away.

The destruction did not stop in the north. Strikes also sparked blazes at logistics facilities in Tver, while key targets in Simferopol, Crimea, came under heavy fire during the same window.

It was a widespread hit against the heart of the country’s main digital retailer.

Striking the giant

Company leadership quickly confirmed the extensive damage shortly after the fires began spreading.

“Last night, our logistics centers in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk were attacked,” chief executive Tatiana Kim wrote in a statement posted on Telegram.

Her message referred to initial strikes on southern facilities earlier in the week. By Thursday night, the barrage had shifted far north into key industrial districts.

As a result, retail operations across several affected Russian regions were left scrambling to contain the damage and evaluate the economic fallout.

Slipping through defenses

The strikes on Saint Petersburg carry serious political and military weight. Sitting roughly 1,100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, the hometown of Russian President Vladimir Putin usually enjoys dense air defenses.

For over two years, those heavily fortified defensive networks kept the historic city largely untouched by incoming air raids.

That shield appears to be weakening. According to the Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian drones have grown far more effective at penetrating heavy air defenses around major urban centers like Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Additional reporting from Ukrayinska Pravda confirmed that local emergency crews were forced to battle blazes across multiple regions overnight.

Why it makes sense

Often described as Russia’s answer to Amazon, Wildberries handles far more than basic everyday household goods.

Security analysts point out that the platform has become a key hub where Russian troops and volunteer groups purchase dual-use electronics, drone components, and body armor.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this week, security expert Serhii Kuzan described the widespread retail network as “a vital component” of Russia’s military supply lines. Forbes Russia recently valued the combined Wildberries-Russ enterprise at approximately $12.6 billion.

Additionally, hitting the logistics centers will put further pressure on the Kremlin, which is trying to keep the Russian population shielded from the fallout of the war.

Disrupting these logistics centers will affect deliveries of everyday goods to Russian households, and if the damage becomes extensive enough, Wildberries might be forced to raise its prices, putting further strain on the Russian population’s already struggling economy.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation