Ukraine strikes Ozon logistics hubs, deepening blow to Russian economy
Drone attacks on Russia’s second-largest online retailer mark a significant escalation in the conflict’s economic dimension, prompting the Kremlin to explore state support options.
Ukrainian drone strikes have targeted logistics facilities belonging to Ozon, Russia’s second-largest online retailer, across the southern regions of Krasnodar, Dagestan, Stavropol, and Adygea. The overnight attacks resulted in fires at multiple warehouses and injuries to several workers, according to the company. Russia’s defence ministry reported that three children, aged 13, 15, and 16, were killed in Krasnodar, with six additional children hospitalised.
The strikes follow weeks of Ukrainian attacks on rival Wildberries, the country’s largest online retailer. Kyiv has cited the storage of dual-use goods as a legitimate military target, a justification Moscow has denied. President Vladimir Putin previously warned that Ukraine had opened “Pandora’s box” by striking economic targets, predicting that Russia would respond by hitting Kyiv’s “most sensitive economic sectors.”
The financial impact was immediate. Ozon shares fell by up to 12% on the Moscow Exchange on Monday morning, while shares in its major shareholder, private equity firm AFK Sistema, dropped by almost 13%. In response, the Kremlin stated it was “working with business representatives to develop various options for providing support in this difficult situation.”
Ozon and Wildberries are estimated to serve 85–90% of Russia’s economically active population. Unlike Amazon, which sells goods directly, these platforms operate primarily as marketplaces that connect independent sellers with buyers while handling storage, delivery, and payments. Consequently, many of the losses incurred in the attacks have been borne by third-party businesses rather than the platforms themselves.
The latest incidents occurred one day after an Ozon site in the Samara region was hit. BBC-verified social media videos showed a drone striking a warehouse in the Orenburg region and flames rising from a facility in Dagestan. Workers in Adygeysk and Nevinnomyssk were evacuated following the strikes.
In Ukraine, overnight strikes targeted food storage facilities and energy infrastructure in the Odesa region, resulting in five injuries. The targeting of these major retail hubs has brought the war closer to ordinary Russians, who rely on these services for clothing and household appliances, particularly in remote areas with limited shop access.
