The Moscow region experienced a significant drone strike from Ukraine, resulting in explosions at a warehouse complex often referred to as “Russia’s Amazon” and an oil depot, leading to massive smoke plumes visible from afar.
The attack targeted the expansive Wildberries base in Elektrostal, situated 36 miles east of the Kremlin, causing a large fire with billowing black smoke that could be seen over 30 miles away, affecting parts of Moscow with smog.
Simultaneously, a crucial oil hub depot in Noginsk, also east of the capital, was engulfed in flames following another assault, prompting the evacuation of a nearby maternity hospital.
In a separate incident, a second drone strike at the Wildberries facility in Russia’s Tambov region resulted in the deaths of seven individuals and left over two dozen injured.
Residents expressed feelings of despair and likened the scene to a catastrophic event, with one person describing it as reminiscent of scenes from the movie “Armageddon.”
Tatyana Kim, the owner of Wildberries, which is under Ukrainian sanctions and is known as Russia’s wealthiest woman with a fortune of £6.1 billion, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic events, offering condolences to the victims’ families and pledging support to those affected.
Andrey Vorobyov, the Governor of the Moscow area, reported that 48 drones were intercepted over the region overnight, highlighting the severe impact in the Bogorodsky urban district where a drone crash led to a fire at the Noginsk oil depot.
According to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, over 370 Ukrainian drones were launched towards the Moscow Oblast, the region surrounding the Russian capital, during the night.
As a precautionary measure, a maternity hospital near the incident was evacuated, with patients and staff relocated to other medical facilities for their safety.
Eyewitnesses captured footage showing flames and explosions at the Noginsk oil depot, which houses 24 storage tanks with a total capacity of 11,500 cubic meters. Videos circulating online depicted massive columns of black smoke rising above the site as flames engulfed the area.
Emergency response teams, including 40 ambulance crews and 12 units from the regional disaster medicine center, were dispatched to the Moscow area to handle the aftermath of the attack, while authorities and municipal workers focused on clearing the affected areas.
The oil depot, recognized as a critical fuel storage and logistics hub in the Moscow region, is used by traders and fuel companies for storing and transporting petroleum products.
Wildberries, the largest online retailer in Russia, operates a network of warehouses and fulfillment centers nationwide for processing and delivering orders to customers.