A Wildberries logistics hub in Russia’s Tambov region burns after Ukrainian strikes, August 26, 2026
Tuesday’s Coverage: Europe Pledges Support On Kyiv’s Independence Day
UPDATE 0637 GMT:
Monitoring channels report Ukrainian strikes overnight on Russia’s Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery, in the city of Kstovo in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
The refinery is the largest of Lukoil. It is fourth in capacity in Russia and second in gasoline production, refining around 15 million tons of oil per year and producing 5 million tons of gasoline.
The strikes are the fifth on the refinery this year and the first since July 2.
UPDATE 0633 GMT:
A mother and her 4-year-old child were murdered by a Russian drone attack on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine on Wednesday morning.
A 14-year-old teenager was injured.
UPDATE 0630 GMT:
Ukraine’s air defenses downed 134 of 162 drones launched by Russia overnight. Strikes were recorded at 18 locations.
UPDATE 0621 GMT:
Analysts assess that CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Russia on Tuesday was prompted by intelligence that Moscow is preparing for mass mobilization.
The officials said the Russians were also planning to test NATO’s resolve with operations across Europe.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin did not meet with Ratcliffe, who pursued “contacts between intelligence agencies”.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine has renewed strikes on Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, setting a major logistics hub ablaze.
The attack was on Kotovsk in the Tambov region, around 360 km (220 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
Tambov Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov acknowledged the Wildberries facility was hit during “a massive drone attack”. The fire covered more than 100,000 square meters. The Governor said one person was injured. He advised residents to close windows and stay indoors for two days to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Kotovsk hub was also struck in the initial days of the Ukraine campaign, which began July 16.
The attacks have inflicted billions of dollars of damage on Wildberries and the stocks of businesses using it. Wildberries CEO Tatyana Kim has appealed to the Kremlin for assistance while saying businesses must seek compensation from the Russian Government.
Wednesday’s strike was the first on a Wildberries site since August 16. In the past week, Ukraine has launched initial attacks on the warehouses and logistic centers of Okon, the second-largest online retailer in Russia.
