Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Online Retailer Ozon Warehouses

Ukrainian drone strikes targeted logistics facilities belonging to Ozon, Russia's second-largest e-commerce retailer, sparking fires and disrupting operations across several regions. Russian regional officials reported that overnight strikes killed at least six civilians and injured several others across multiple border regions and southern territories. In the Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed injuries from a strike that forced Ozon to halt operations at its Chapayevsk logistics center, while Ukrainian military forces stated they hit the Novokuibyshevsk refinery.

The offensive expanded into the North Caucasus, where Ozon reported a fire at its Makhachkala logistics hub in Dagestan following a morning drone attack.

Ozon confirmed it temporarily suspended operations at two undamaged warehouses in the Stavropol and Adygeya regions due to ongoing drone alerts. The strikes mark the first direct attacks on Ozon following weeks of Ukrainian strikes against its larger competitor, Wildberries, aimed at disrupting economic infrastructure supporting Russian forces.

Russian Defense Ministry officials claimed air defense forces downed 457 Ukrainian drones during the overnight wave. In northeastern Ukraine, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov stated that Russian strikes on the outskirts of Kharkiv killed three people and injured eight others, with emergency services conducting ongoing search and rescue operations.

Addressing the broader political context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected calls for holding elections during active combat operations. "I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then we can move towards elections during this kind of war," Zelensky said. The Ukrainian leader also denied any government involvement in the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions.

"Ukraine has never officially taken part in any operations regarding the blowing up of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline," Zelensky said.

Zelensky added that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to draft 300,000 additional troops following elections in September to pursue capturing the remainder of the eastern Donetsk region. During a visit to Kyiv on Ukraine's Independence Day, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced plans to assist Ukraine's domestic production of long-range missiles by declassifying information on British components used in SCALP cruise missiles. "Ukraine's security is our security," Burnham said.

International support announcements included a pledge from Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere to provide 85 billion Norwegian crowns in financial and military support in the 2027 fiscal year.

"Supporting and rebuilding Ukraine is not assistance alone. It is an investment in Europe's own security," Stoere said.