Home Business NewsUkraine cripples Russia’s retail giant in multi-billion-rouble drone blitz

Ukraine cripples Russia’s retail giant in multi-billion-rouble drone blitz

3rd Aug 26 11:25 am

Ukraine has expanded its long-range drone campaign beyond military and energy targets, increasingly focusing on the logistics networks that underpin Russia’s domestic economy.

Over the past two weeks, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted warehouses operated by Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace, in what appears to be an effort to disrupt one of the country’s most important commercial supply chains.

According to reports cited by Forbes, logistics facilities in Kotovsk, Elektrostal, Krasnodar, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and several other cities have been hit, damaging an estimated 17 to 22 per cent of Wildberries’ logistics infrastructure.

Analysts estimate that rebuilding the affected facilities could cost between 62.5bn and 80.8bn roubles, while losses incurred by businesses selling through the platform could total between 215bn and 280bn roubles.

The latest strike reportedly hit one of the company’s largest warehouses in Russia’s Samara region overnight, extending a campaign that has gathered pace throughout the summer.

The attacks illustrate how Ukraine is increasingly seeking to impose economic costs deep inside Russian territory rather than focusing exclusively on military assets.

Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim has acknowledged that the company’s warehouses are insured, but said existing policies do not cover damage caused by drone attacks. Several large insurers have reportedly confirmed they do not provide such cover, leaving companies exposed to potentially significant losses.

The consequences extend beyond the retailer itself. Denis Vetrennikov, chief executive of the marketplace services company SellerDen, estimated that several hundred thousand entrepreneurs using the platform may have been affected through lost inventory and disrupted distribution.

The growing disruption has prompted intervention from Moscow. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has instructed government ministries and the central bank to prepare proposals to support affected businesses by 10 August.

Reports also suggest Wildberries has begun seeking additional logistics capacity in Kazakhstan, highlighting the pressure on Russia’s domestic distribution network.

For Kyiv, the strategy reflects a broader evolution in the war. By targeting logistics rather than simply military infrastructure, Ukraine is attempting to raise the economic cost of the conflict for Russian businesses and consumers alike.

Whether such attacks materially weaken Russia’s war effort remains uncertain. But they demonstrate that modern warfare increasingly extends far beyond the battlefield, reaching into the commercial arteries that sustain the wider economy.

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