Ukraine's Drone Strikes on Wildberries Warehouses: Aftermath and Impact
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's Wildberries warehouses killed eight people and caused up to 100 billion rubles in damage, marking one of the costliest strikes on Russian commercial infrastructure since the war began.
Russia is assessing the damage after Ukrainian drone strikes targeted warehouses operated by online retailer Wildberries on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring over 70. Russian analysts estimate total economic damage at up to 100 billion rubles ($1.3 billion), making it one of the costliest strikes on Russia's commercial infrastructure since the start of the war.
Why Wildberries Was Targeted
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes were retaliation for Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, specifically last week's deadly strikes on Nova Poshta facilities. Zelensky also claimed that Wildberries warehouses contained components used “to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.” Wildberries, Russia's largest marketplace, was founded in 2004. There is no publicly confirmed evidence the company cooperates with Russia's Defense Ministry, but dual-use items like body armor, combat helmets, and fiber-optic cable were listed on its platform. Ukraine's drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said the strikes were also psychological operations aimed at disrupting the “illusion of a comfortable peacetime” life in Russia.
Damage and Economic Impact
The drone strikes hit one of Wildberries' most important logistics hubs, disrupting around 7% of the company's logistics capacity. The Elektrostal warehouse in the Moscow region covers over 360,000 square meters and employs over 8,000 people. The Kotovsk logistics center in Tambov, opened last year, can store up to 54 million products. Restoring the damaged facilities is expected to cost up to 35.8 billion rubles ($457 million), and insurance may not fully cover it, experts told Kommersant.
Impact on Merchants
Wildberries' merchants, many small business owners, suffered the most as their goods were destroyed, wiping out months of investment. Social media filled with videos of merchants describing losses. Businesswoman Alisa Goldberg said most of her inventory was gone but taxes and salaries remained. Another entrepreneur, Anastasia, said she was bankrupt and asked customers to support her through pre-orders. Under Wildberries' marketplace agreement, the company is exempt from liability due to force majeure events like drone attacks. However, Wildberries said it is working on financial support measures, including compensation: 2 million rubles ($25,500) to families of the deceased and 1 million rubles ($12,700) to seriously injured employees.
Safety Concerns
Eyewitnesses reported possible violations during evacuation. Some managers allegedly kept employees inside buildings after the strikes, while workers had to manually open automatic gates and evacuate through narrow exits. One employee said supervisors instructed workers to return barcode scanners instead of organizing evacuation. An unofficial union member said delays occurred due to fears of theft. Another witness said the fire alarm did not go off immediately. Wildberries denied these claims, stating that emergency systems operated in a timely manner and all exits were opened immediately.
