A major strike on 24 July left a warehouse in the Vladimir region engulfed in thick smoke. Local residents shared images and videos online showing drones in the sky just before the attack occurred. Wildberries, through its press service, confirmed a fire had broken out at the site but said there were no casualties at first. However, regional governor Alexander Avdeyev later announced two people had been injured in the incident. This attack marked the third on Wildberries logistics sites in two weeks, as Ukraine continues to target what it claims is a key part of Russia’s military supply chain.
Why Ukraine targets Wildberries
Ukraine has been attacking Wildberries facilities since mid-July, accusing the company of supporting Russian military efforts. According to Kyiv, these warehouses are actively involved in supplying drone components and navigation equipment to Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically highlighted that the targeted warehouses act as supply hubs for the armed forces. Online, the company openly sells items like drone parts and body armor, further raising suspicions about its role in the war effort. Kyiv sees this as a strategic move to pressure Russia by striking at one of its most vital economic pillars.
The scale of Wildberries’ operations is staggering. It generates an annual turnover of €70–75 billion, which accounts for slightly more than 2% of Russia’s total GDP. The company employs around 50,000 people directly, and with seasonal workers, the total logistics workforce often exceeds 100,000. Given these numbers, Wildberries plays a major role in the Russian economy, making it a prime target for Kyiv’s drone strikes. Its presence in Russia’s economic landscape is so significant that it has drawn comparisons to global giants like Amazon.
Sanctions and state support
Wildberries and its founder, Tatiana Kim, have faced international sanctions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Poland was among the first to label the company as the largest taxpayer in the Russian Federation when imposing sanctions. Meanwhile, Kim, often called Russia’s richest woman, has refused to offer full compensation to users who suffer losses due to the strikes. Despite this, the company likely expects financial aid from the Russian government to help cover damages.
Reports suggest Russia is exploring ways to support Wildberries and the many small businesses that rely on the platform. State-owned lender VTB Bank is thought to be central to this effort, possibly through measures like loans, tax breaks, or subsidies. However, sellers on the platform have been voicing frustration online, especially on platforms like Instagram, which are banned in Russia. Many argue they are being forced to absorb losses without significant help from the company or government. Without tax relief or loan holidays, they warn, thousands of businesses could collapse. Wildberries has offered some compensation, but sellers claim it is insufficient to cover their mounting losses. Potential losses suffered by sellers on the marketplace following the recent attacks could reach 215–280 billion rubles ($2.7–$3.5 billion), Russian Forbes reported, citing Data Insight analyst Sergei Semko.
Ukraine's military launched a wide-ranging drone attack on Russia overnight on Aug. 4, reportedly striking logistics and oil infrastructure in various regions of the country, Russian Telegram media channels reported. Photos and videos posted to social media by local residents appear to show thick black smoke rising from a Wildberries logistics hub in the city of Chekhov in Moscow Oblast, located approximately 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of the Kremlin. Ukrainian drones were seen flying over the city ahead of the strike. Later into the morning, smoke was also reportedly seen rising at a Wildberries warehouse in the community of Krasny Bor in Leningrad Oblast. The town is located approximately 33 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of St. Petersburg. Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko later confirmed on Telegram that drones struck an unspecified warehouse in Krasny Bor. The region around St. Petersburg, like Moscow, has rarely been targeted by Ukrainian attacks throughout Russia's full-scale invasion due to the concentration of Russian air defenses around the significant cities. In recent months, however, Ukrainian drone advancements have been able to more effectively penetrate air defenses, striking various targets in heavily fortified cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. Wildberries has prohibited employees from bringing smartphones to work, allowing them to use only basic mobile phones, the Russian Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti reported on Aug. 3, citing an internal company notice.
Elsewhere in Russia, a large fire reportedly broke out at the Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast following a Ukrainian strike. While it was not immediately clear as to what weaponry was used in the attack, Kyiv's forces have repeatedly targeted the refinery with long-range drones. Kyiv considers energy facilities to be valid military targets, as the energy sites provide fuel and funding for the Kremlin's war machine. Ukraine has been waging an increasingly successful deep strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure, striking oil depots, disrupting production at major facilities, and in some cases halting operations indefinitely.
Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia kill at least six, spark fire at Wildberries warehouses. At least six people were killed in Ukrainian drone attacks across Russia, local officials said Tuesday on the messaging app Telegram. Warehouses belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries were targeted for the second night in a row. Ukraine’s overnight attacks on Russia killed six people and injured nine, as they damaged warehouses near the cities of Moscow and St Petersburg, governors said, while Russian strikes killed and injured people in Ukraine. Read more: Ukraine targets Wildberries again as Russia hits Kharkiv publishing house. Five were killed and six injured after Ukrainian drones attacked the Moscow region, governor Andrei Vorobyov said on messaging app Telegram on Tuesday. A warehouse caught fire which was later doused, he said, without giving details. Drones near St Petersburg, Russia’s second biggest city, hit a warehouse facility, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Telegram without identifying it, while one person was injured. Russia’s top online retailer, Wildberries, which became a frequent target of Ukraine’s recent attacks, said its warehouse near St Petersburg caught fire but there were no casualties.