Drones Strike Hypermarket in Russian-Occupied Luhansk Overnight

Drone strikes hit the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk overnight on September 24 to 25, igniting a fire at the Stroytsentr hypermarket on Andriia Linyova Street, according to monitoring channels Exilenova+ and ASTRA, which reported the attack early Thursday.

The building targeted was formerly home to an Epicenter hypermarket before Russia's annexation of parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the site has reportedly served as a logistics hub for Russian military forces operating in the region.

Footage circulating on social media showed flames rising from the large commercial structure, accompanied by the sound of gunfire, the hum of a drone engine, and at least one explosion. Local monitoring channels had issued warnings earlier in the evening about drone activity in the area.

Ukrainian officials have not provided a formal statement confirming the strike. Kyiv rarely comments publicly on operations targeting infrastructure in occupied territories.

Luhansk, which Russia declared annexed in September 2022, sits behind the current front lines and has remained relatively insulated from direct attacks compared to areas closer to active combat. However, Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted rear-area logistics, fuel depots, and military storage facilities throughout occupied territory in an effort to disrupt Russian supply chains.

The use of commercial buildings as cover for military logistics has been documented elsewhere in the occupied zones. Facilities that appear civilian on the surface — supermarkets, warehouses, industrial complexes — have repeatedly been identified by Ukrainian intelligence as concealing military equipment or supplies.

No casualties were reported in connection with the Luhansk strike. Russian occupation authorities have not commented on the incident.