Air-raid sirens wailed across Penza and other Russian regions overnight into Thursday as Ukrainian drones struck deep inside the country, igniting major fires at logistics hubs and industrial sites. The most dramatic scenes unfolded at a vast Wildberries sorting and logistics centre in the Bessonovsky District near Penza.
Drone Strike Ignites Massive Fire at Wildberries Hub
Ukrainian monitoring channels and Russian outlets reported that drones hit the roughly 90,000-square-metre facility, one of the online retailer’s key hubs serving the Volga Federal District. A large fire rapidly took hold, sending thick plumes of smoke into the night sky. Anton Gerashchenko, a prominent Ukrainian commentator and former government adviser, was among the first to highlight the blaze on X, posting video footage of the burning Wildberries sorting centre and stating it was “reportedly burning in Penza, Russia, following a drone attack.” The images showed intense flames engulfing parts of the complex.
Penza Oblast Governor Oleg Melnichenko confirmed the incident, saying an “open fire” was burning on the warehouse premises and that firefighters were battling the blaze. Around 200 employees were evacuated; one person was injured and received medical treatment. Air-raid sirens sounded across the city, and authorities activated the “Carpet” plan, temporarily restricting airspace. Emergency services, including fire crews, ambulances and police, flooded the scene. Wildberries said it had redirected incoming deliveries and order dispatches to other facilities. The company has faced repeated strikes on its logistics network in recent weeks.
Wider Wave of Attacks Across Russia
Russian defence officials claimed their air defences intercepted more than 250 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Rostov, Volgograd, Penza, Tambov, Krasnodar Krai, Crimea and over the Black and Azov seas. Despite the interceptions, fires still broke out. Reports also emerged of a second Wildberries site in Udmurtia’s Sarapul area catching fire after drone activity, and of a blaze at a port facility in Taman in Krasnodar Krai.
These incidents formed part of a sustained campaign of long-range drone strikes that have targeted Russia’s energy infrastructure and e-commerce logistics in recent days, including a Wildberries hub and oil refinery in Ryazan the previous night.
Growing Reach of Ukrainian Drones
The Penza strike lies more than 700 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, underscoring the growing reach of Ukraine’s unmanned systems. Monitoring channels shared multiple videos of the fires, which continued to rage into the morning hours in some locations. Local residents described explosions followed by the glow of flames and the persistent wail of sirens. Russian authorities urged people not to film or share footage of the attacks or air-defence activity.
The overnight wave of strikes continues a pattern of Ukrainian deep attacks aimed at disrupting Russia’s war economy and supply chains. As firefighters worked through the night to contain the blazes, the full extent of the damage at the Penza hub and other sites remained under assessment.
