Russia's Wildberries removes 'Everything for SMO' tag but continues selling military goods
Following Ukrainian drone strikes on its warehouses, Russian online retailer Wildberries has removed the product tag “Everything for the SMO”, but military-purpose items remain available for purchase.
Russian online marketplace Wildberries has removed the product label “Everything for the special military operation” (SMO) after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on its logistics centers. The label had been attached to over 200,000 products. “Special military operation” is the term Russia uses to refer to its unprovoked war against Ukraine.
Searching for this tag on the website or app now returns the message “No matching products found”. However, as noted by the independent outlet The Moscow Times, military-purpose goods are still for sale. Body armor and protective helmets can be found in the “Sport” section, FPV drones and components in the “TV, Audio, Photo and Video Equipment” category, and other search terms such as “SMO products” or “SMO kit” still bring up military first-aid kits, radios, backpacks, chevrons, and flags.
Since July 18, Ukraine’s Armed Forces have struck at least 10 Wildberries logistics centers, including warehouses in Elektrostal, Kotovsk, Koledino, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk, Voronezh, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and occupied Simferopol. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that these facilities were used “to supply the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment, and gear”. The attacks began on July 18 in Kotovsk, followed by strikes on Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk on the night of July 21–22, and reports of explosions in Crimea on July 24, including a Wildberries warehouse in Simferopol.
