Witnesses Describe Chaos at Russian Warehouse After Drone Attack, Claiming Management Blocked Exits

Eyewitness accounts from a Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal, Russia, allege that management barred employees from exiting the building during a drone attack, prioritizing the security of goods over human safety. According to testimonies shared on the Telegram channel "Wildberries. Pravda sotrudnikov" ("Wildberries". Truth from employees), managers allegedly prevented workers from leaving the burning structure, forcing them to open automatic gates themselves.

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Imagine what was going on there. A doorway of normal width. Plus a turnstile.

One witness, identified as Sofia, stated that her brother and other employees were instructed by a "manager" to "calm down and not panic" when the attack began. She reported that workers eventually escaped through cargo doors. After the building began to collapse, Sofia claimed the managers fled through regular doors, with employees following them, navigating a narrow doorway and a turnstile.

Another account from the same channel describes a manager in one block announcing that a firefighter would open the gates, only to flee the building himself. This reportedly caused panic, with people attempting to open the gates on their own. The witness did not specify if a firefighter arrived or if they escaped unaided. In another block, security guards allegedly checked employees leaving the premises. A witness recalled that the fire alarm did not activate immediately, only sounding after smoke filled the area, leaving people unaware of any evacuation.

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The fire alarm did not go off immediately, but only when a huge cloud of smoke formed and the fire raged. People didn't even know about the evacuation.

Reports from a warehouse in Kotovsk, Tambov region, which also sustained a drone attack, suggest a similar lack of organized evacuation. One employee stated that management intended to keep workers until their tasks were completed. It was only after a "loud explosion" that people began to flee without waiting for instructions. Some reportedly had to escape through a forest. The employee also mentioned that warehouse staff had not been briefed on safety procedures for air raids.

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Calm down and do not panic.