MOSCOW — Ukraine has launched a new wave of drone strikes targeting warehouses operated by Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, in an escalation that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of ordinary Russians who rely on the platform to buy and sell goods.
The latest attacks struck Wildberries logistics centers in the southern Russian cities of Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, marking the second major assault on the company’s infrastructure within a week. Russian officials reported that fires broke out at both facilities, while Wildberries said multiple employees were injured and operations were disrupted.
Wildberries, often referred to as “Russia’s Amazon,” processes around 20 million orders every day and has become an integral part of Russia’s consumer economy. Millions of customers use the platform to purchase clothing, electronics, household goods, cosmetics, medicines, and other everyday products, while hundreds of thousands of merchants depend on it as their primary sales marketplace.
Ukrainian officials say the warehouses are legitimate military-related targets, arguing that parts of the company’s logistics network are used to transport equipment and components supporting Russia’s war effort. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has defended the campaign as part of Ukraine’s broader strategy of striking logistics infrastructure that contributes to Russia’s military operations. Russia and Wildberries deny that the company is directly involved in military logistics.
The strikes are expected to have significant economic consequences. Damage to the warehouses could delay deliveries, interrupt supply chains, and result in major financial losses for businesses that store and sell merchandise through the platform. Industry groups have reportedly requested temporary government support for affected retailers as they assess the damage.
Founded in 2004 by Tatyana Kim, Wildberries has grown from a small family business into Russia’s dominant online marketplace and one of the country’s largest private employers. According to Reuters, Wildberries and its chief competitor Ozon now account for an estimated 8.5% of Russia’s gross domestic product, highlighting the growing importance of digital commerce in the Russian economy.
The attacks also reflect a broader shift in Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign. Rather than focusing exclusively on military installations, Kyiv has increasingly targeted logistics hubs, fuel depots, transportation networks, and economic infrastructure that it says supports Russia’s ability to sustain the war. The strategy has brought the conflict closer to millions of Russian civilians who had previously experienced little direct disruption from the fighting.
As both sides continue to exchange strikes deep inside each other’s territory, the attacks on Wildberries underscore how the economic front of the war is becoming increasingly significant, with businesses and ordinary consumers now feeling the effects alongside traditional military targets.