Ukrainian drones have targeted a series of Ozon logistics centres in Russia’s southern regions, setting fire to warehouses, injuring civilians and causing significant market losses.

The strikes, part of a growing number of raids on Russia’s largest online‑retail conglomerates, hit facilities in Krasnodar, Dagestan, Stavropol and Adygea. Ozon said a fire broke out in its Makhachkala warehouse at around 05:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Monday, and a major blaze was reported in a Krasnodar centre close to the border.

Russia’s defence ministry confirmed that three children – aged 13, 15 and 16 – were killed in the Krasnodar attack, with six more treated for injuries. The losses have spiked Ozon’s share price, falling up to 12% on the Moscow Exchange, and its private‑equity majority shareholder, AFK Sistema, saw a 13% drop.

Ukraine has for weeks targeted warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer, citing its alleged role in supplying the military. A Ukrainian defence statement said that after hitting 15 of Wildberries’ largest logistics hubs, “it was Ozon’s turn.”

In response, President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had opened “Pandora’s box” by striking economic targets and warned the Kremlin would hit back at Kyiv’s most sensitive economic sectors. Putin also denied that the attacks were intended to target civilians, while both governments claim to avoid targetting civilians.

Ozon’s founder noted the strikers had wounded several workers at a facility in the Adygeysk region and a person in Nevinnomyssk. Videos on social media, verified by the BBC, show drones hitting a warehouse in Orenburg and a plume of smoke rising from Dagestan.

The Kremlin’s response is to “working with business representatives to develop various options for providing support in this difficult situation.” Yet the attacks have slammed ordinary Russians into the frontline, as the two online giants are vital for remote areas that lack traditional retail outlets.

Ozon and Wildberries, often dubbed Russia’s Amazon, are largely marketplaces that connect independent sellers to buyers, delivering stored goods while handling payments. Their infrastructure thus faces an almost unique risk: while sometimes used for army supplies, they are also essential consumer platforms. The Kremlin has constantly denied that the companies help military logistics, yet the attacks have cast doubt on the protection of civilian economic hubs.