Putin Orders Government Program to Rebuild Warehouses Hit by Ukrainian Drone Strikes

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government on Wednesday to establish a program aimed at rebuilding commercial warehouses that have been damaged or destroyed in Ukrainian drone attacks.

Since mid-July, Ukraine has conducted drone strikes on at least two dozen warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia's leading online retailer, sparking explosions and fires that wiped out a significant portion of the company's storage capacity.

Without mentioning Wildberries by name, Putin said several logistics facilities required state support to be rebuilt. Speaking in televised remarks at a conference on economic matters attended by ministers and business leaders, he stressed that restoration work should be carried out using a qualitatively new technological standard.

Economy still growing, damage acknowledged

Putin said Russia's economy continues to grow modestly despite Western sanctions and Ukrainian strikes on industrial and infrastructure sites. He conceded that such attacks cause damage but maintained they have not led, and cannot lead, to critical consequences for the country's economy.

Ukraine, whose own cities, ports and logistics hubs remain under regular attack, alleges that Wildberries has been supplying the Russian military with drone components and other equipment. The company has rejected these claims, describing the strikes on its facilities as acts of terrorism.