Full Breakdown
Ukraine Targets Wildberries Warehouses in Expanding Aerial Campaign
8/1/2026, 12:56:33 AM
Core Event: Drone Strikes Hit Wildberries Depots
In under two weeks, Ukrainian forces struck more than a dozen Wildberries distribution centers across Russia. The first attacks hit sites in Elektrostal (just east of Moscow) and the Tambov region on July 18. Subsequent strikes hit facilities in the Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, St. Petersburg, the Leningrad region, Simferopol (Crimea), Penza, Sarapul (Udmurtia), Volgograd and Zelenodolsk. The attacks have killed nine people and injured scores. Fires at Elektrostal took three days to extinguish; the Tambov hub resumed operations five days later.
Background: Wildberries’ Role in Russian E-commerce
Founded in 2004 by Tatyana Kim, Wildberries has become Russia’s largest online marketplace, handling roughly 52 % of all online orders. The platform supports an estimated 500,000-800,000 sellers, including more than 88,000 small entrepreneurs, through a network of over 200 logistics facilities that also operate in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Crimea. Analysts value Russia’s e-commerce sector at about $150 billion, with online retail accounting for $80-$90 billion of that total. Shoppers interviewed on July 23 praised the service’s convenience.
Impact on Small Businesses and the Economy
Sergei Semko of Data Insight estimates the damaged warehouses represent about 12 % of Wildberries’ total storage capacity, with potential goods losses up to $3 billion. Small sellers report destroyed inventory and have taken to social media describing their losses. In response, Wildberries offered discounted storage fees, free transfers of goods, and reduced-rate loans from Wildberries Bank. The company reimbursed over 88,000 sellers after the Elektrostal strike and later issued a second tranche to more than 97,000 businesses.
Chris Weafer, CEO of Macro-Advisory Ltd, says the attacks cause “relatively slight” damage to the overall economy but serve to “undermine public morale” and increase public discussion of the war.
Official Statements & Responses
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the hit facilities were involved in supplying gear and technical components to Russia’s military, though he did not name Wildberries. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on July 21 that the strikes were not against military targets and accused Ukraine of hitting civilian sites. Tatyana Kim said Wildberries began reimbursing sellers whose inventory was damaged in Elektrostal and emphasized support for the “smallest and most vulnerable entrepreneurs.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “Well, if they raise the prices, I don't mind. It still saves me time, and time is even more valuable,” — Irina Potapova. Kyiv
- “It was something that was happening a long way off,” — Chris Weafer, CEO of Macro-Advisory Ltd
