Ukrainian drone and missile teams have brought shame to the Russian President by blitzing another ‘Amazon’ style Wildberries ” outlet – this time in his home city of St Petersburg
Ukraine has pulverised Russia’s Amazon online retailer Wildberries, this time targeting Vladimir Putin’ s home town St Petersburg. The devastating attack was part of a wider Flamingo missile and drone assault targeting Russia’s way of life and its military infrastructure in a major blow to the Kremlin for the fifth time this week.
Logistics centres belonging to Wildberries were hit in St Petersburg and Tver as well as in Russian-occupied Crimea in waves of coordinated strikes overnight.
Large plumes of black smoke were seen billowing over several Wildberries facilities, said to be involved in the supply of drone and military components, as hundreds more businesses went up in flames.
But, according to sources it is also being dismantled by Ukraine to remind Russians that they are no longer remote from Putin’s war on their neighbour.
The switch in Ukraine’s strategy marks a turning point in the war as thousands of Russian businesses now face bankruptcy and is focusing attention on the pointlessness of Putin’s war. It has happened at a time when many Russians are being crippled by a tanking economy and are seeing an horrific number of their relatives being killed in Ukraine.
It is estimated that 1.4 million have been made casualties in over four years of war but currently as many as 6,000 are being killed in just one week.
In a recent speech Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said of Putin that a new “atmosphere” was surrounding him. He added: “He alone is the reason this war began and hasn’t ended. Putin alone is responsible for the losses Russians continue to suffer.”
The latest Wildberries strikes mark the fifth attack on the E-commerce giant since 18 July, affecting around 10 per cent of its logistics capacity.
Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of stock from Russian small businesses has been destroyed and the enterprise faces a bleak future if attacks continue.
The Kremlin hit back on Friday with ballistic missile strike on a military training ground in the Kyiv region hosting a defence industry event. Ten died in the attack which also injured about 100.
Prosecutors have launched parallel investigations into the attack and the organisation of the event, while military experts questioned why it was held within range of Russian ballistic missiles.
President Zelensky confirmed Russia had carried out a missile strike on the Kyiv region but did not say whether it had struck the arms exhibition.
He said: “A rescue operation is currently underway in the Kyiv region following the Russian missile strike. As of now, dozens of victims are known. It is also known that, unfortunately, people died. My condolences to their families and loved ones. The investigation into all the circumstances and the fate of those affected continues. All necessary emergency services are working at the scene.”
