Seven killed, 25 injured as Ukraine targets Russia's Wildberries warehouses PHOTO / VIDEO / UPDATED

A Ukrainian drone strike targeting a Wildberries logistics facility in Kotovsk has left seven employees dead and increased the total number of injured to 25, regional authorities confirmed on Saturday, July 18.

Tambov Oblast Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov announced that 23 of the injured workers have been hospitalised across municipal facilities in Kotovsk and Tambov, as well as the regional referral hospital. The casualties primarily sustained shrapnel wounds from the blast.

Detailing the medical conditions of the victims, Governor Pervyshov stated:

"According to updated information, 25 people were injured as a result of the Ukrainian UAV strike on the Wildberries warehouse in Kotovsk on the night of July 18. 23 victims were hospitalised in the city hospitals of Kotovsk and Tambov, as well as in the regional hospital. Of these, one person is currently in extremely serious condition, six are in serious condition, and 16 are of moderate severity. These are mostly shrapnel wounds. Doctors are providing them with all necessary assistance. Seven people working the night shift died on the spot."

The merged entity Wildberries & Russ (RWB) confirmed that its logistics centres in both the Tambov and Moscow regions were targeted during the overnight aerial wave.

Tatyana Kim, the founder of Wildberries, issued a formal statement committing financial and logistical aid to the families of the deceased and wounded overnight workers.

Writing on her official Telegram channel, Kim stated:

"A terrible night, terrible events for our company and for our country. This is a pain that cannot be expressed in words. I offer my condolences to all the relatives and loved ones of the victims; we will definitely help their families. We will provide all necessary support to the injured."

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Multiple logistics facilities belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries were struck in overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on July 18, causing significant fires and killing at least seven workers.

According to an open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis by independent outlet ASTRA, geolocation of eyewitness footage confirmed a major blaze at a Wildberries sorting centre within the Kotovsk Industrial Park in Russia's Tambov region. 

The strike on the Tambov facility resulted in multiple casualties among the facility's logistics staff. Tambov Regional Governor Evgeny Pervyshov confirmed the fatalities and ongoing emergency response in a formal statement.

"As a result of a UAV hitting the Wildberries logistics centre, 7 employees of the night shift were killed. According to preliminary data, 24 people were injured. Necessary medical assistance is being provided to all victims in the medical institutions of Kotovsk and Tambov. Ambulances, fire crews, Ministry of Emergency Situations forces, and law enforcement officers promptly arrived at the scene. Open burning on the territory of the Wildberries warehouse has been eliminated; firefighting operations continue," Pervyshov reported.

As reported by TASS, the Wildberries & Russ logistics complex began operations in the Industrial Park in 2025.

A second Wildberries fulfilment infrastructure node was simultaneously targeted further north. Eyewitness video captured on Saturday morning, July 18, showed a large-scale fire and a dense column of dark smoke rising from a warehouse in Elektrostal, located in the Moscow region. ASTRA analysts cross-referenced and verified the visual evidence, confirming that the site was also a Wildberries logistics hub.

By Tamilla Hasanova