Russia’s Online Retail Giant Ozon Hit by Ukrainian Strikes

Russia’s second-biggest online retailer, Ozon, has been targeted in a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes, with warehouses in the southern regions of Krasnodar, Dagestan, Stavropol, and Adygea being hit. Ozon reported that its logistics facilities were on fire and several people had been injured following the overnight strikes. The company’s shares fell by as much as 12% on the Moscow Exchange on Monday morning.

The Ukrainian strikes on Ozon come after weeks of targeting Wildberries, the country’s biggest online retailer, which Ukraine describes as a legitimate target due to its alleged supply of components to the military. Russia has denied these claims, with President Vladimir Putin stating that Ukraine has ‘opened Pandora’s box’ by striking economic targets.

• Ozon’s logistics facilities in Krasnodar, Dagestan, Stavropol, and Adygea were hit by Ukrainian drone strikes.
• Several people were injured, and a fire broke out at a logistics centre in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
• Russia’s defence ministry reported that three children were killed in Krasnodar following a Ukrainian drone attack.
• Shares in Ozon fell by as much as 12% on the Moscow Exchange on Monday morning.

Krasnodar Region Under Attack

A major fire was burning at one of Ozon’s logistics centres in the city of Krasnodar, 700km east of the Dagestan site. Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, said that three children aged 13, 15, and 16 were killed, while six more children were taken to hospital.

Videos posted on social media of the Ozon attacks have been verified by the BBC, showing a drone hitting a warehouse in the Orenburg region and a large plume of smoke and flames rising from its warehouse in Dagestan.

Maria Lvova-Belova’s Statement

Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, stated that the deaths of the three children were a result of the Ukrainian drone attack. She also reported that six more children had been taken to hospital.

Russia’s Economic Response

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would hit back at Kyiv’s most sensitive economic sectors. The Kremlin stated that it was working with business representatives to develop various options for providing support to Ozon. For more information, visit Watan News.