Why Ukraine is setting fire to the 'Russian Amazon'

Ukraine has escalated its campaign against Russian logistics by targeting Wildberries, the country's dominant e-commerce platform, often dubbed the "Russian Amazon." Drone attacks have repeatedly struck the company's vast network of warehouses and logistics centers since mid-July, causing significant fires and disruptions.

Wildberries is a cornerstone of the Russian consumer economy, offering a wide array of products from alcohol and groceries to clothing and electronics. The company processes over 20 million orders daily and stores more than 750 million items. Its efficient delivery system, often providing next-day service, is highly valued by Russian consumers. The attacks, which have resulted in casualties, are hitting a business deeply integrated into the daily lives of millions of Russians and supporting hundreds of thousands of sellers.

Kyiv has framed these strikes as legitimate actions, citing reports that Wildberries has sold components for drones and other military goods under labels like "Everything for the SWO" (Special Military Operation). While Wildberries has reportedly removed such labels, the goods remain available. This justification, however, is met with skepticism by some analysts, who suggest that targeting consumer infrastructure might serve a broader strategic goal of economic disruption rather than solely interdicting military supplies.

The economic impact on Russia is substantial. Experts estimate potential damages to sellers could reach up to 2.4 billion euros due to the destruction of inventory. By attacking a company so central to Russian commerce and consumerism, Ukraine aims to inflict economic pain and demonstrate its reach deep into Russian territory, mirroring Russia's own attacks on Ukrainian logistics firms like Nova Poshta.