Drone Attack Halts Wildberries Operations and Athletics in Yekaterinburg
Impact of Drone Threats on Russian Logistics and Athletics
Wildberries Logistics Hub Evacuation
YEKATERINBURG, Russia July 25 (Reuters) - A drone threat prompted leading Russian online retailer Wildberries to evacuate its logistics hub on Saturday in the city of Yekaterinburg, where the national athletics championships were also briefly suspended.
Ukraine has struck Wildberries' warehouses in a string of attacks over the past week, broadening its long-range drone strategy to target a company central to Russia's consumer economy.
Temporary Halt and Resumption of Operations
Wildberries said it had temporarily halted operations at the Yekaterinburg facility for security reasons, but that the site had not been damaged. Around four hours later, it said operations had resumed.
Drone Alerts and Regional Response
Earlier on Saturday, local authorities declared a drone alert over the wider Sverdlovsk region and said one attack had been repelled over Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city. Falling drone debris set fire to a parking lot, Governor Denis Pasler wrote on the Telegram app.
"Economic and infrastructure facilities were not damaged," he said, cautioning residents to remain vigilant as the drone threat persisted.
Effect on Russian Athletics Championships
The alert also delayed the penultimate day of competition at the Russian Athletics Championships, which the city was hosting.
Athletes and spectators had to leave the open stadium and take shelter, according to a Reuters witness.
Firsthand Accounts from Athletes
"This has never happened to me at competitions, but in everyday life it has. Sometimes, even during training, we'll have drone alerts and sirens going off. So, it's a normal atmosphere, so to speak," said runner Anastasia Fedonina from the southwestern Volgograd region.
Broader Context of Drone Attacks
Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks on Russian infrastructure this year in a bid to undermine its war effort and pressure the Kremlin to make peace. It says it has targeted Wildberries on the grounds that it handles military supplies, which the Kremlin has denied.
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian logistics infrastructure, as well as its energy system and power grid.
Additional Warehouse Attacks
On Saturday, local authorities in Russia's southern Krasnodar region said open flames had been extinguished at a warehouse hit by drones on Wednesday. They did not name the facility, but a Wildberries warehouse in Krasnodar was attacked that day.
Economic Significance of Wildberries and Ozon
Together with smaller rivals, Wildberries and top competitor Ozon sell goods and services worth the equivalent of 8.5% of Russia's gross domestic product and employ 4 million people, or more than 5% of the country's workforce.
(Reporting by Reuters, writing by Alessandra Prentice, Editing by Louise Heavens)
