Ukrainian Strikes on Wildberries Warehouses Cause Massive Losses for Russian Economy
Ukrainian drone attacks on the logistics centers of Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries are inflicting severe financial damage on the company and thousands of local traders, according to the Financial Times.
Ukraine has identified a vulnerable point in Russia's economy: the logistics hubs of Wildberries. According to a report by the British newspaper Financial Times, targeted drone strikes on these centers have caused enormous losses not only for the company itself but also for many local merchants using the platform.
The latest attack hit a large warehouse complex in the Leningrad region, confirmed by regional governor Alexander Drozdenko. Previous strikes had already destroyed goods worth billions of rubles.
The repercussions are far-reaching, with thousands of sellers facing bankruptcy, inability to repay loans, and tax debts. Kyiv states that these strikes are a response to Russian army attacks on warehouses of the Ukrainian postal company Nova Poshta. Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously revealed that through Wildberries' network, the Russian armed forces had received drone components and other military equipment.
Estimates from Russian media suggest that the first four attacks destroyed about 444,000 square meters of warehouse space, nearly 8% of the company's total logistics capacity. Infrastructure restoration alone could cost around 36 billion rubles (approximately €370 million), while total losses after the first attack were estimated between 150 and 235 billion rubles.
The situation is complicated by the fact that before the attacks, Wildberries management added drone strikes to its force majeure list, allowing them to refuse full compensation to sellers. Although the company later announced compensation for small traders, many complain that the amounts received cover only a small fraction of their actual losses.
