Ukrainians paralyze Wildberries platform operations; attacks impact Russian army supplies

A series of Ukrainian drone attacks over several weeks has significantly disrupted the operations of Wildberries, Russia's largest online retail platform. According to the DroneBomber profile, which analyzes Ukraine's aerial assaults on Russia, two-thirds of Wildberries' major logistics centers are now out of commission.

As of August 2, at least 16 large Wildberries logistics centers across Russia have been rendered unusable due to these attacks. This accounts for a substantial portion of the company's infrastructure, with reports indicating that 16 out of its 26 major logistics facilities, each exceeding 15,000 square meters, have been paralyzed. This represents 62% of its key distribution hubs.

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Two-thirds of the largest logistics centers of Wildberries, the largest Russian online trading platform (the Russian equivalent of Amazon and Allegro), have been disabled as a result of Ukrainian drone attacks that have been occurring for several weeks.

These targeted attacks are having a considerable economic impact. Russian Forbes estimates that Wildberries lost at least 17% of its warehouse space in July alone due to the drone strikes. The affected facilities had a combined area of 1.21 to 1.47 million square meters, with damaged areas totaling at least 893,000 square meters. This suggests that up to 22.2% of Wildberries' logistical infrastructure may have been impacted, potentially costing sellers $3.5 billion and affecting hundreds of thousands of businesses.

Beyond the commercial implications, the attacks are reportedly affecting the Russian military's supply chain. Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of Ukraine's 429th Separate Drone Systems Brigade, stated that Russian soldiers are receiving less drone-related equipment because the disruption to Wildberries centers has interfered with the delivery of these components. Ukraine justifies these attacks by noting that the Wildberries platform is used to transport dual-use products, including electronics and navigation equipment essential for the production of drones for the Russian army.

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According to Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the Ukrainian 429th Separate Drone Systems Brigade, Russian soldiers are being issued less equipment related to drone operation, as attacks on Wildberries centers have disrupted the supply of these parts.