Ukraine strikes destroy warehouses of Russia's Wildberries online retailer
Ukraine has launched drone attacks on logistics centers of Russia's largest e-commerce company Wildberries, which supplies military goods to the Russian army. The strikes are retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukraine's Nova Poshta postal operator.
Ukraine has expanded its campaign against Russian logistics infrastructure by systematically striking Wildberries warehouses. On the night of July 17-18, logistics centers in Kotovsk (Tambov Oblast) and Elektrostal near Moscow were hit. The Elektrostal warehouse, Wildberries' largest at over 360,000 square meters, was heavily damaged. A second wave on July 21-22 targeted warehouses in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Krai).
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated these were "long-range sanctions" and retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, particularly Nova Poshta terminals. Wildberries owner Tatyana Kim called the attacks "attacks on ordinary people," but Zelensky emphasized that the warehouses supplied sanctioned components for drone production and military equipment. Wildberries openly sells military items like body armor, camouflage uniforms, and fiber-optic cable for drones.
Preliminary losses from the first strikes exceeded RUB 100 billion ($1.28 billion), with additional losses from the second wave estimated at RUB 100-120 billion. The total value of destroyed goods could reach RUB 235 billion ($2.5 billion). Wildberries may not be legally obligated to compensate sellers, having amended its terms before the attacks to exempt itself from liability for "force majeure." However, after the second attack, the company promised compensation but did not specify details.
Wildberries grew from a small online clothing store in 2004 to Russia's largest e-commerce platform. It has close Kremlin ties, merging with ad operator Russ in 2024 with Putin's personal approval. The company has faced Western sanctions, with its WB Bank sanctioned by the UK and EU in 2026.
