A major logistics center of the Russian marketplace Ozon has been completely burned down near Saratov. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing footage from Radio Svoboda, a warehouse with a total area of approximately 100,000 square meters was destroyed as a result of an overnight drone attack on Saratov Oblast. Satellite images published by several Ukrainian media outlets show that the facility was burned to the ground, with a column of black smoke rising over the area.
Timeline and circumstances of the attack
According to available information, on the night of September 11, Saratov Oblast was hit by drones: fires were recorded at at least two facilities in the regional capital, including an oil refinery and the Ozon warehouse. Footage of the aftermath, showing the completely destroyed logistics complex, was taken at 11:36 local time. By morning, it became clear that one of the marketplace's largest warehouses in the region had been lost.
Seventh strike on Ozon and the 33rd on Russian logistics
The facility destroyed near Saratov, according to Ukrainian sources, is already the seventh Ozon warehouse damaged or completely destroyed since August 22. Looking more broadly, since July 18 this is the 33rd confirmed successful strike on major logistics complexes within Russian territory, including warehouses of Wildberries and other companies. The systematic nature of the attacks on e-commerce infrastructure points to a deliberate targeting of logistics hubs.
Hidden warehouse addresses
Particularly noteworthy is the fact that Ozon had previously removed the addresses of its Russian warehouses from the public directory. According to available data, this happened at least 20 days before the first strikes on the company's facilities. Such measures were likely taken in an attempt to reduce risks; however, what happened near Saratov shows that they did not provide sufficient protection.
Contradictory data
In the original text, the source that provided the footage — Radio Svoboda — was mistakenly described as a "Russian service," whereas it is a US-funded outlet broadcasting in Russian; the correct attribution of the photos is to RBC-Ukraine and Radio Svoboda. Moreover, while the fact of the warehouse's destruction is confirmed by satellite imagery, its attribution to Ukrainian drones is based on statements by the Ukrainian side and is not corroborated by official confirmation from Russian authorities in the provided sources. Thus, the destruction of the facility is a confirmed fact, while the authorship of the strike is a version that requires caveats.
