The Moscow region experienced a significant drone strike from Ukraine, resulting in explosions at a warehouse complex known as “Russia’s Amazon” and an oil depot. These explosions led to massive smoke plumes that could be seen from afar.
The attack targeted the expansive Wildberries base in Elektrostal, located 36 miles east of the Kremlin, causing a massive fire that emitted noxious black smoke into the sky. The fire was so intense that it was visible over 30 miles away, with reports of smog affecting parts of Moscow.
Additionally, an essential oil hub depot in Noginsk, also situated to the east of the capital, erupted in flames following another drone attack. This incident forced the evacuation of a nearby maternity hospital.
In a separate drone strike on the Wildberries complex in Russia’s Tambov region, seven individuals lost their lives and more than two dozen were injured. Witnesses described the scene as apocalyptic, with one Muscovite likening it to a scene from a doomsday movie.
Tatyana Kim, the owner of Ukrainian-sanctioned Wildberries and Russia’s wealthiest woman with a fortune of £6.1 billion, expressed deep sorrow over the devastating events, offering condolences to the affected families and pledging support to those impacted.
Governor Andrey Vorobyov of the Moscow area reported that 48 drones were intercepted over the region overnight. He highlighted the Bogorodsky urban district as the most severely affected area, where a drone crash triggered a fire at the Noginsk oil depot.
Furthermore, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated that more than 370 Ukrainian drones were launched towards Moscow Oblast, the region surrounding the Russian capital, during the same night. As a precaution, a maternity hospital near the incident was evacuated, and patients and staff were relocated to other medical facilities.
Eyewitnesses captured footage of flames and explosions at the Noginsk oil depot, a facility housing 24 storage tanks with a total capacity of 11,500 cubic meters. Videos circulating online depicted massive black smoke rising from the site as flames engulfed the area.
Emergency response teams, including 40 ambulance crews and 12 disaster medicine teams from the regional center, were deployed to the Moscow area. Cleanup efforts are ongoing as authorities work to assess and address the aftermath of the attack.
The Noginsk oil depot serves as a critical fuel storage and logistics hub in the Moscow region, facilitating the storage and transportation of petroleum products for traders and fuel companies.
Wildberries, the largest online retailer in Russia, operates a network of warehouses and fulfillment centers nationwide to manage and distribute orders efficiently.
