Russia Strikes Ukraine’s Largest Online Retailer Twice – Russia has struck the primary logistics hub for Ukraine’s largest online retailer, Rozetka, twice within 24 hours. The company described the Russian attacks as a deliberate attempt to disrupt one of the country’s most important commercial distribution networks.
The second strike occurred overnight into Sunday, August 2, when two Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones hit Rozetka’s largest warehouse complex in Brovary, just east of Kyiv. The strike follows another Russian attack on the same facility on Saturday morning, killing one employee and wounding seven others. It comes as Ukraine’s long-range strikes no longer focus squarely on Russian oil infrastructure, but expand to the country’s own commercial distribution networks.
Iran’s Drones That Russia Is Using. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Second Strike Hits Brovary Logistics Hub
Rozetka co-founder Iryna Chechotkina said two Shahed drones struck the company’s primary warehouse during the overnight attack, marking the second direct hit on the same facility in less than a day.
“This is the second attack on our warehouse in 24 hours. [It is] definitely not an accident, but a targeted strike,” the company said in a statement.
Despite repeated attacks on the facility, there were no fatalities or injuries in the latest overnight bombardment, and operations reportedly continue as usual.
The strikes occurred soon after emergency crews had already spent much of Saturday responding to damage caused by the first attack.
Saturday Attack Kills Employee
The first strike occurred on the morning of Saturday, August 1, while approximately 270 employees were working inside the logistics center. The attack caused the death of 61-year-old Rozetka employee Volodymyr Melnychenko and injured seven others. One of those injured in the strike is also said to be in serious condition following the attack.
Kyiv Regional Military Administration chief Tymur Tkachenko also said that the strike damaged at least a dozen vehicles parked at the facility.
The warehouse was hit as part of one of Russia’s largest missile and drone attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks and appears to be a direct response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian Wildberries logistics facilities, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says have been used to transport components used in Russian military hardware.
Ukraine says that Russia launched 35 missiles, including 27 ballistic missiles, and 185 attack drones during the nationwide attacks. Ukraine also reported intercepting only one ballistic missile, a result of Kyiv’s ongoing shortage of Patriot interceptors.
“It was a hard start to the day after a massive Russian ballistic attack. Thirty-five missiles, most of them ballistic, along with nearly 190 drones of all kinds. The number of jet-powered ‘shaheds’ is growing, and everyone in the world must see that, by prolonging this war, Russia is learning new ways to kill – and certainly won’t stop with Ukrainians. Homes were hit. The missiles primarily targeted Kyiv, infrastructure in Kyiv and across the Kyiv region – in Brovary and Vyshneve. Nine people were killed,” Zelenskyy said in a statement following the attacks.
Rozetka Is More Than Just Online Shopping
Founded in 2005 by Vladyslav Chechotkin and Iryna Chechotkina, Rozetka has grown from an online electronics store into Ukraine’s largest e-commerce platform.
The website serves millions of customers and connects thousands of merchants with buyers across Ukraine.
Since the Russian invasion in 2022, the company has become a critical part of Ukraine’s wartime economy – in much the same way that Wildberries has become a critical part of the Russian economy. Rozetka maintains deliveries throughout the country even during blackouts and missile attacks.
The company has also spent the last several years expanding its logistics network, even as the war has caused further damage to the national economy and Ukrainian infrastructure, establishing more pickup points and distribution facilities to compensate for regions heavily impacted by the war. So, while many traditional retailers were forced to scale back their operations, online commerce platforms like Rozetka have picked up the pieces and helped supply households and businesses with everything from groceries and medicine to household goods and electronics.
Logistics Infrastructure Has Been Hit Before
The timing of the strikes on Rozetka suggests they are Moscow’s response to Ukraine’s recent campaign against Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer. Since July 18, Ukrainian drones have struck at least eight Wildberries warehouses and additional logistics facilities across Russia. The campaign has knocked out approximately 10% of the company’s warehousing capacity and forced temporary closures. The strikes have even prompted the company’s owner to consider moving warehouse operations outside of Russia, where strikes are less likely to occur.
Kyiv has publicly defended those attacks, describing Wildberries sites as legitimate military targets. Zelenskyy has said that the company’s logistics and infrastructure have been used to move components for Russian drone production and navigation equipment, as well as other dual-use goods that support Russia’s defense industry. So far, there appears to have been no comparable justification from Moscow about the Rozetka strikes.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
