Giant flames over Saint Petersburg: Ukraine continues to strike deep inside Russia

Ukrainian drones hit warehouses of the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries today (Friday) for the third time in six days, this time near Saint Petersburg, causing a fire that sent smoke rising over the historic city.

In addition, a Ukrainian "Flamingo" model cruise missile was documented hitting a sensitive defense plant in the city of Kirov. Russia has denied the existence of this missile, claiming that Ukraine does not possess domestically produced cruise missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the attack on Wildberries — a large online retailer often referred to as the Russian equivalent of Amazon — as "successful." Zelensky accused the retailer of supplying "drone components, navigation equipment, and military gear" to the Russian army.

Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone strikes on Russian energy, military, and logistics sites in recent weeks, calling the strikes a justified retaliation for Moscow's nightly barrage of drones and missiles on its cities.

In Saint Petersburg, the hometown of President Vladimir Putin, which is located more than 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, gray smoke was seen rising above residential high-rises.

"All your hope is burning"

"It's not just a warehouse that is burning," said Tatiana Mikhailova in a video she shared on Instagram and which was widely quoted in The Guardian. "It's the time you invested, the immense pressure you endured, your money, and the remainder of your hope. All I feel is emptiness."

Mikhailova is one of many Russian entrepreneurs whose small businesses have been affected by a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Wildberries warehouses. Ukrainian drones have hit at least 11 such facilities in four of the last seven days, killing at least nine people and destroying billions of dollars worth of inventory.

At the same time, at least ten people were killed and more than 100 others were injured after a Russian ballistic missile hit an arms exhibition held near Kyiv on July 24. Presidential advisor Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov told The Kyiv Independent that the event took place at a training ground along the Zhytomyr highway. President Volodymyr Zelensky later confirmed on social media that at least six people were killed and "dozens" more were injured, without specifying the nature of the event.