Drones hit Wildberries logistics hub in Tambov as Russia launches 162-UAV barrage on Ukraine

The night of 25–26 August brought the drone war to both sides of the front line, with a fire at a key Wildberries logistics centre in Russia’s Tambov Oblast and a 162-drone barrage against Ukrainian cities.

In Kotovsk, a city in Tambov Oblast, local monitoring channels reported a drone threat from around midnight. Restrictions were imposed at Tambov airport, and residents said they heard at least ten explosions before a fire broke out in one of the city's districts. The target, according to Russian media outlet Astra and the Exilenova+ Telegram channel, was a Wildberries logistics centre – one of the marketplace's main hubs in central Russia. The facility opened in 2025 and was expected to store up to 54 million items once fully operational.

There has been no official confirmation of the strike, and no group has claimed responsibility. The attack follows a major fire at Wildberries' largest warehouse in Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, after a drone attack on the night of 15–16 August. That incident was widely reported in Russian media, though officials gave little public detail. The repeated targeting of Wildberries infrastructure suggests that, whether by deliberate design or by the growing reach of Ukrainian long-range drones, the war is now touching Russia's domestic e-commerce logistics.

While Russian authorities remained silent on Kotovsk, Moscow was conducting one of its largest drone attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 162 Shahed (including jet-powered versions), Gerbera attack drones and Parodiya decoys overnight. As of 08:00, Ukrainian air defence had destroyed or jammed 134 of them, with hits recorded at 18 locations and debris falling at three more. Aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare assets, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups were involved in the response. The attack was still ongoing, with several drones remaining in Ukrainian airspace.

The barrage included strikes on urban infrastructure. In Kharkiv, a drone hit the Osnovianskyi district, setting a warehouse on fire. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said no casualties had been reported so far. The attack came a day after Russian forces struck Chernihiv on the evening of 25 August, injuring two adults and a child.

The pattern is significant for what it says about the evolution of the drone war. Russia continues to use massed waves of relatively cheap drones to stretch Ukrainian air defences, mixing Shaheds with Gerbera and decoy Parodiya UAVs. Ukraine, for its part, has increasingly hit targets deep inside Russia, including fuel depots, airfields and, now, logistics centres. Wildberries is not a military target in the traditional sense, but it is part of the economic infrastructure that keeps the Russian market running. Striking it sends a message, though Ukrainian officials have not commented on the Kotovsk incident.

For European readers, the takeaway is that the war's drone front is no longer confined to the battlefield. Both sides are using long-range UAVs to attack infrastructure that affects civilian life – warehouses, airports, energy facilities. The restrictions at Tambov airport and the fires in Kotovsk and Kharkiv are reminders that the distinction between military and civilian logistics is becoming increasingly blurred.

As of the time of writing, there has been no official Russian statement on the Kotovsk fire, and no confirmation of who launched the drones. The full extent of the damage to the Wildberries facility is unknown. What is clear is that the overnight exchange was one of the most intense in recent months, and that both sides are willing to push the drone war deeper into each other's rear areas.