Ukrainian Drone Strikes Cripple Wildberries Logistics Network

On July 24, a warehouse of Russian online retailer Wildberries in the Leningrad region near St. Petersburg caught fire after a Ukrainian drone strike, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said. The incident injured three people. The attack follows a series of strikes that began on July 18, when drones hit warehouses in Elektrostal (Moscow region) and Kotovsk (Tambov region). Regional officials reported eight fatalities in the July 18 attacks and at least one additional death in the later strikes. Wildberries confirmed that operations at two logistics sites in the Leningrad region were halted and that staff at its Crimea warehouse were evacuated.

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Wildberries, together with rival Ozon, accounts for roughly 8.5 % of Russia’s gross domestic product and employs more than 4 million people. Kyiv has stated that the company’s facilities are legitimate military targets because they supply Russian frontline troops, while the Russian government denies any involvement in military logistics. The attacks are part of a broader Ukrainian campaign of economic warfare that has also targeted fuel refineries and other strategic assets. Founder Tatyana Kim attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 5, underscoring the retailer’s prominence.

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Preliminary estimates cited by the Russian edition of *Forbes* suggest Wildberries lost up to 9 % of its warehouse space, with reconstruction costs potentially reaching 33 billion rubles (about $421 million). Losses of sellers’ inventory could exceed 150 billion rubles ($1.9 billion). Small and medium-size entrepreneurs using Wildberries for distribution have reported that up to 40 % of their stock was destroyed, prompting complaints that the retailer’s terms of service now absolve it of liability for damage caused by drone attacks.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said major logistics facilities were hit and were being used to supply sanctioned components for drone production. The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, described the situation as “difficult” for both Wildberries and the small businesses that rely on it. Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim said the company is discussing tax-relief measures with the Federal Tax Service to ease the burden on affected entrepreneurs.

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Ukrainian commentators have argued that Russian public complaints overlook Moscow’s 2022 invasion, which they say prompted the deep-strike campaign. One commentator, Kateryna Bohuslavska, highlighted the contrast between Russian grievances over warehouse damage and Ukrainian suffering from Russian missile attacks.

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