Ukraine has struck another major Wildberries logistics hub in Ryazan, 115 miles southeast of Moscow, in a large drone attack that also ignited a key oil refinery and hit the strategic port of Taganrog.
Six people were reported injured in the Ryazan strike, which caused the roof of the Wildberries warehouse — Russia's fifth largest — to collapse. Thick black smoke poured from the facility, and an evacuation was ordered. Ukraine has attacked 11 Wildberries logistics facilities this month, of which seven have been destroyed or badly damaged, causing billions of pounds of damage. Ukraine claims the retailer supplies the Russian military. The company is now urgently seeking warehouse space in neighbouring Kazakhstan.
Port and Kerch Fires
Drones also hit the strategic port of Taganrog on the Sea of Azov in southern Russia, where a woman was killed. Large fires were reported in Kerch, near the Crimean end of the bridge linking the peninsula to Russia.
Political Reactions
The wave of attacks came hours after Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky met in the US. Trump hailed the meeting as 'went very well' while Ukraine sought urgent air defence. The US Senate overwhelmingly approved draconian sanctions against the Putin regime, with 86 votes in favour.
Zelensky said both he and Trump wanted an end to the war but Putin 'doesn’t want'. He stated: 'Putin, he gives absolutely opposite messages, he wants a big mobilisation of 500,000 new soldiers from the very beginning of autumn… They are crazy, they lose 30,000 soldiers per month … So now initiative not in the hands of Putin.'
Kremlin Denies Mobilisation
The Kremlin denied it wants up to half a million soldiers in a mass mobilisation this autumn. Putin ally Dmitry Medvedev called it a 'lying provocation' by the Kremlin’s enemies. He said: 'This is part of the propaganda campaign ahead of the elections. Naturally, they are trying to destabilise the situation in our country and create negative sentiment… I want to stress once again that there is absolutely no need for mobilisation. This is a lie spread by the enemy, which is itself experiencing a shortage of manpower.'
Western and Ukrainian intelligence suggest Putin is seeking a massive new draft to counter frontline losses. Zelensky claims Putin’s inner circle is split on continuing or ending the war.
