‘Up in smoke’: Attacks on ‘Russia’s Amazon’ bring Putin’s war closer to home

A series of Ukrainian drone attacks on warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia's dominant e-commerce platform, has resulted in potentially hundreds of millions of dollars worth of inventory being destroyed. The strikes, which began over the weekend and continued into Wednesday and Thursday, targeted distribution and logistics centers across various Russian regions, including Elektrostal, Kotovsk, Krasnodar, Stavropol, Voronezh, St. Petersburg, and Leningrad region. A facility in Simferopol, Crimea, was also struck.

These attacks intensify Ukraine's economic warfare strategy, which has previously targeted Russian oil refineries. The strikes on Wildberries are bringing the conflict closer to home for ordinary Russians by disrupting businesses and livelihoods. The attacks have also had deadly consequences, with regional officials reporting at least eight fatalities in Kotovsk and Elektrostal, and one death in the recent strikes in southern Russia.

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major logistics facilities were hit and that those warehouses were being used “to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.”

Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the attacks, asserting that the Wildberries facilities are legitimate military targets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that "major logistics facilities were hit" and that these warehouses were used to supply components for drone production and navigation equipment. However, the Russian government denies that Wildberries supplies the Russian military. A search on the Wildberries website revealed numerous items listed as "military supplies," including body armor, first aid kits, rations, and drone equipment.

The Kremlin has acknowledged the economic damage caused by the strikes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the situation as "indeed difficult given the losses suffered by both the company itself and small and medium-sized businesses." The full economic impact of these attacks on Wildberries and the broader Russian economy remains unclear.

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the situation is indeed difficult given the losses suffered by both the company itself and small and medium-sized businesses.