Ukraine Drone Attacks Hit Russia's Largest Online Marketplace

Ukraine has escalated its campaign against Wildberries, Russia's dominant online retailer, with a series of drone attacks targeting its warehouses. The latest incident occurred early Sunday at a facility in Podolsk, south of Moscow, following similar strikes in Tver and Salavat earlier in the week.

These attacks have taken a significant toll, with at least nine employees confirmed dead and scores injured. Several warehouses have ceased operations, and the e-commerce consultancy Data Insight estimates Wildberries has suffered losses of up to 480 billion rubles ($5.7 billion) in goods and about a third of its warehouse capacity. The total damage to the company and its sellers could reach 800 billion rubles ($9.5 billion).

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Wildberries is, in a way, a choke point of Russian society and the Russian economy.

Kyiv asserts that Wildberries serves as a logistical hub for Russia's military, supplying equipment and components. However, Moscow maintains the retailer's operations are exclusively civilian. Regardless of the true purpose, the ongoing attacks are placing considerable strain on Russia's economy. Fabrice Pothier, CEO of Rasmussen Global, described Wildberries as a "choke point of Russian society and the Russian economy."

Wildberries, often likened to Russia's Amazon, has seen substantial growth since 2022, benefiting from parallel imports that allow Russian companies to bypass sanctions. Revenue reportedly increased sevenfold between 2021 and 2025. The platform now controls about half of Russia's e-commerce market, with Ozon holding another 30%. Together, they handle goods and services equivalent to approximately 8.5% of Russia's GDP.

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elements of Russian logistics [...] used to distribute equipment for the war: navigation systems, components for drone production, and other supplies for the Russian army.