Story perspectives

Ukrainian Drones Hit Refineries, Wildberries; Zelensky Cites North Korean Missiles

8/11/2026

Summary

Ukrainian Drones Strike

Ukrainian drones ignited a fire at the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery in Orenburg Oblast on Aug. 11, damaging its hydrocracking unit.
Ukrainian forces struck a Wildberries logistics hub in Novaya Usman, Voronezh Oblast, killing a man and injuring two while officials reported all 15 drones were shot down.
On Aug. 10, attacks hit refineries in Tatarstan and the Tobolskneftekhim plant in Tyumen Oblast, while Russia reported its air defenses intercepted 456 Ukrainian drones.

Summary

Wildberries Hub Fire

A fire destroyed Wildberries-Russ’s 152,900-sqm hub in Aleksandrovka, which stored over 90 million items and supported Russian forces.
Bell estimates Ukrainian drone strikes have caused at least 100 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) in direct losses for Wildberries.
In two weeks, about 16 of Wildberries’ biggest warehouses—nearly two-thirds of its major hubs—were knocked out, jeopardizing profitability.
Wildberries confirmed evacuations “in accordance with safety requirements” while giving no explanation for the explosions.

Summary

Zelenskyy Accuses Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow received North Korean ballistic missiles used in the Zaporizhzhia strike that killed six.
He added a missile of alleged North Korean origin killed a Ukrainian family two weeks earlier, showing escalation.
Zelenskyy warned Russia plans to deploy additional North Korean troops to support its invasion.
Russian officials reported at least 12 civilian deaths across Ukraine from missiles, drones and glide-bombs.

History

Historical Context

Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea triggered the first post-Soviet wave of Western sanctions, freezing roughly $50 billion in assets and prompting the G8 to suspend Russia. The sanctions crippled the economy, spurring capital outflows of $70 billion in early 2014. Today, Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian logistics and North Korean missile tests echo that same asymmetric pressure, reshaping Moscow’s search for non-Western partners.

1 of 4

Ukrainian Drones Strike

Ukrainian drones ignited a fire at the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery in Orenburg Oblast on Aug. 11, damaging its hydrocracking unit.
Ukrainian forces struck a Wildberries logistics hub in Novaya Usman, Voronezh Oblast, killing a man and injuring two while officials reported all 15 drones were shot down.
On Aug. 10, attacks hit refineries in Tatarstan and the Tobolskneftekhim plant in Tyumen Oblast, while Russia reported its air defenses intercepted 456 Ukrainian drones.

1 / 4