Ukrainian drone strikes on Wildberries warehouses: small business owners lose millions of rubles
Ukrainian drone attacks on two Wildberries warehouses in Russia killed at least eight people and injured over 80, destroying goods belonging to thousands of sellers and causing losses in the millions of rubles.
On the night of July 18, Ukrainian drones struck two Wildberries warehouses—one near Moscow in Elektrostal and another in the Tambov region. The attack killed at least eight people and injured more than 80. The Elektrostal facility, a major logistics hub, suffered extensive damage, with smoke drifting over 200 kilometers and about 15% of the company’s total warehouse space affected. Firefighters had not fully extinguished the blaze a day later.
The fire destroyed not only the warehouses but also merchandise from thousands of sellers. Some entrepreneurs estimate their losses in the millions of rubles and are scrambling to keep their businesses afloat. Meduza interviewed four sellers who had goods stored at the Elektrostal warehouse.
Alexey, an electronics seller, learned about the fire immediately from a friend working at the warehouse. He drove there but found the area cordoned off. “All I could do was watch my merchandise burn,” he said. He lost approximately 210 PlayStation 5 consoles worth 10–12 million rubles. He plans to sell his car for 2.8 million rubles to buy new inventory.
Arina, owner of a women’s clothing brand, lost goods worth over 600,000 rubles (1,135 items). She noted that Wildberries recently raised its commission to 43.5%, which, combined with other fees, takes about 70% of the selling price. “It has become very difficult to make a quality product that is affordable,” she said. She was already considering leaving the platform before the fire.
Olga, who sells children’s craft kits, is still calculating her losses. She said she was shocked by the scale of the fire and worried about employees. Despite the losses, she still has to pay suppliers and loans.
Tatiana, another women’s clothing brand owner, lost goods costing 2 million rubles, with future profit losses reaching 6 million rubles. She doubts she will receive compensation and is considering legal action. She plans to stop producing new items until the end of summer and explore other platforms like Lamoda.
