With Vladimir Putin still showing no signs of ending his invasion, Ukraine is expanding a strategic bombing campaign inside Russia that aims to undermine the logistics supporting the Kremlin war machine. The latest phase in this air offensive has included strikes on a number of major logistical hubs belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, leading to extensive damage and a number of fatalities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks on Wildberries e-commerce facilities over the past week were part of Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to impose “long-range sanctions” on the Putin regime. He claimed the targeted distribution hubs were being used to supply the Russian army in Ukraine with items including sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment. The attacks also destroyed large quantities of non-military merchandise, leaving many Russian entrepreneurs facing financial hardship.
Ukraine’s drone strikes on Wildberries warehouses produced powerful footage of wartime destruction, with huge plumes of black smoke visible throughout the Moscow area and in the skies above a number of cities in southern Russia. Such sights were once unthinkable in Putin’s Russia but are now becoming increasingly common. In recent months, Ukraine has repeatedly hit high-profile Russian targets including the St. Petersburg oil terminal and Moscow oil refinery. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s vast energy industry infrastructure are now an almost daily occurrence.
