The major Russian industrial city of Volgograd, in the country's southwest, is being engulfed in smoke and darkness on Friday after a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks scored several hits on key sites.
A sprawling energy facility, as well as warehouse belonging to the online retailer Wildberries, went up in flames, resulting in several injuries. During the attack a residential area was also struck, resulting in the death of a woman in her destroyed home.
Wildberries has since confirmed that a large fire broke out at a logistics hub in Volgograd while reporting no casualties at the site. The attack comes on the heels of more than a dozen Wildberries having been hit by long-range drones over the past couple weeks.
After some 13 warehouses have been hit, reports have estimated that about 10 percent of the company's storage capacity has vanished. The latest attack brings the total to 14.
A statement by the online retailer giant sought to assure customers, "Logistics chains have been reorganized, and the receipt of deliveries and dispatch of orders are being carried out at other facilities."
The Amsterdam-based Moscow Times also notes that "NASA's fire monitoring system FIRMS showed several large active fires at the site of a major Lukoil-operated oil refinery just south of the city of Volgograd. Lukoil has not commented on the reported attack on its facility."
This was further confirmed in Bloomberg:
Ukraine struck one of Russia's largest oil refineries, threatening to disrupt fuel supplies again as strikes on the country’s downstream industry resumed.
Ukraine’s Security Service said on Telegram that it targeted facilities at Lukoil PJSC’s refinery in the Volgograd region, without indicating the extent of the damage. The attack resulted in a fire at the facility, Ukraine’s General Staff said in a separate message.
A large fire has reportedly engulfed parts of the complex, after which the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine boasted of the attack Facebook.
The General Staff described that "Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka is one of the largest oil refineries in the Russian Federation. Its refining capacity is approximately 15 million metric tons of crude oil per year. The facility produces automotive gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel. It is involved in supplying the needs of the Russian army."
More broadly, several Russian regions faced another night of large drone waves, with the country's defense ministry later saying that over 370 drones were intercepted overnight. Russia has also carried on with nightly ballistic missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, with attacks this week focusing as far west as Lviv, and near the border with Poland.