The past few hours have witnessed a significant military escalation between Moscow and Kyiv, as a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack led to a massive fire in logistics warehouses near the Russian city of St. Petersburg. Sources reported that the fire ignited in facilities belonging to 'Wildberries,' Russia's largest e-commerce platform, causing thick plumes of smoke to rise and cover large parts of the region.
For its part, the Russian army announced that it had repelled a wide wave of aerial attacks, confirming the downing of approximately 571 Ukrainian drones in one night. The Russian Ministry of Defense clarified that these drones were intercepted over 15 different regions, including the Crimean Peninsula, noting that the Ukrainian focus was particularly on the strategic Leningrad region.
In a related context, 'Wildberries' decided to temporarily suspend operations in two of its largest warehouses in St. Petersburg to assess the damage caused by the targeting. These strikes come as part of an intensive Ukrainian strategy aimed at hitting supply lines, logistics facilities, and energy infrastructure deep within Russia to undermine Moscow's military capabilities.
On the other hand, Russian forces launched a fierce attack using glide bombs targeting the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine. The regional governor confirmed that five bombs fell on residential areas, resulting in injuries to at least 25 people, in a new escalation targeting populated areas.
Local authorities in Zaporizhzhia clarified that among the injured were six minors and an infant no older than three months, reflecting the scale of the humanitarian tragedy. The shelling also caused extensive destruction to residential buildings and severe damage to a private medical facility that provided services to citizens in the area.
Russian attacks were not limited to the south but also hit the city of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine, where a residential area was subjected to an airstrike that injured nine people. Field sources reported that the Russian shelling caused significant destruction to civilian infrastructure, amid ongoing search and rescue operations under the rubble.
In justifying the targeting of 'Wildberries,' the Ukrainian presidency indicated that the company's facilities are used to store and transport components involved in the manufacture of military equipment. President Volodymyr Zelensky considered these operations to fall under the category of 'field sanctions' against companies that contribute to supporting the Russian war effort and circumventing international sanctions.
Also on the ground, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the targeting of Ukrainian troop concentration points along the Krasnolyman axis north of Donetsk province. The ministry stated that its strikes were precise and succeeded in neutralizing military gatherings that were preparing to launch counter-offensive operations on that volatile front.
As part of the port war, Russian forces continued to shell Ukrainian naval infrastructure, targeting facilities in the strategic Yuzhny port. Russian sources confirmed that the raids hit fuel and lubricant depots intended to supply Ukrainian military vehicles for field movements.
Moscow also revealed the targeting of two cargo ships in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, claiming that they were transporting vital military supplies to Kyiv. Russia insists that it will continue to pursue any ships or logistics centers used to support Ukrainian military operations via waterways.
Kyiv describes this phase of the confrontation as a necessary response to the continuous Russian missile attacks targeting Ukrainian cities day and night. The Ukrainian command asserts that expanding the war to include deep Russia aims to make the Russian interior feel the cost of the war that has been ongoing for years.
It is worth noting that these developments come at a time when the fighting fronts are experiencing relative stagnation in ground movements, in contrast to a significant escalation in the war of drones and long-range missiles. Civilians on both sides remain the biggest victims of this military escalation, which increasingly affects vital facilities and residential areas.
This campaign is a long-range sanction, in response to Russia's nightly drone and missile attacks on our cities.
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Escalation on the Ground: Ukrainian Drones Strike Deep into Russia, Glide Bombs Target Zaporizhzhia