Ukrainian Drone Strikes Hit Volgograd, Spark Fires at Energy Site and Wildberries Warehouse- Ukraine launched another large-scale drone attack deep inside Russian territory overnight, targeting infrastructure in the southern Volgograd region. Russian authorities said the strikes killed one person, injured several others, and caused fires at an energy facility and a logistics hub operated by online retailer Wildberries.
The attacks are part of Ukraine’s expanding long-range drone campaign aimed at disrupting Russia’s military logistics, energy infrastructure, and industrial capacity.
One Dead in Residential Building
Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov said emergency services responded to multiple drone strikes across the region during the night.
Officials initially reported five injuries. Later, Bocharov confirmed that a woman was killed after her body was recovered from the rubble of a damaged residential building struck during the attack.
Emergency crews continued rescue and recovery operations while assessing damage to nearby homes and infrastructure.
Oil Refinery Reportedly Ablaze
Russian authorities confirmed that an energy facility was hit but did not identify it by name.
However, satellite fire-monitoring data from NASA’s FIRMS system detected several large active fires near a major Lukoil-operated oil refinery south of Volgograd. Images circulating on social media also showed thick black smoke rising over the area early Friday morning.
Lukoil had not issued an official statement regarding any damage to its refinery.
If confirmed, the strike would represent another attack on Russia’s energy sector, which has increasingly become a target of Ukrainian long-range drone operations.
Wildberries Warehouse Catches Fire
Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, confirmed that one of its logistics centers in Volgograd caught fire following the drone attack.
The company said employees were safely evacuated and reported no casualties at the warehouse.
The incident adds to a growing list of attacks affecting Wildberries’ distribution network. Over the past two weeks, multiple company warehouses have reportedly been damaged, reducing storage capacity and disrupting operations for thousands of businesses that rely on the platform.
Ukraine has accused Wildberries of assisting Russian military logistics by supplying components used in drone production and other equipment. The company has denied those allegations.
More Attacks Across Russia
The neighboring Rostov region also came under attack.
Governor Yury Slyusar said a woman was injured after a Ukrainian drone struck the town of Gukovo, adding to the growing number of civilian casualties reported during cross-border attacks.
Elsewhere, Russian e-commerce company Ozon temporarily evacuated one of its warehouses in the Republic of Tatarstan after air raid alerts were issued.
Videos shared online appeared to show workers leaving the facility while a drone exploded in the distance, although the footage has not been independently verified.
Hundreds of Drones Intercepted
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted or destroyed 371 Ukrainian drones across various regions of the country and in Russian-controlled Crimea between Thursday night and Friday morning.
The scale of the reported interceptions underscores the increasing frequency and geographic reach of Ukraine’s long-range drone operations, which now regularly target sites hundreds of kilometers from the front line.
Fighting Continues Inside Ukraine
While Ukraine intensified strikes inside Russia, Russian forces continued attacks across Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities said Russian missile, drone, and artillery strikes killed at least nine people and injured 48 others over the past 24 hours.
Officials also reported that a facility in Kyiv linked to an American drone manufacturer was hit during overnight Russian attacks, though the extent of the damage has not been fully disclosed.
Escalating Drone War
The latest exchanges highlight the increasingly important role of drones in the conflict. Ukraine has expanded its campaign against Russian oil facilities, logistics centers, warehouses, and transportation infrastructure in an effort to disrupt military supply chains and increase the economic cost of the war.
At the same time, Russia continues to launch large-scale missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and industrial facilities, keeping pressure on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.
As both sides expand the range and intensity of their drone operations, the conflict is increasingly affecting areas far from the front lines, with critical infrastructure, commercial facilities, and residential neighborhoods becoming more frequent targets.
