Ukraine’s drone campaign inflicts billions in damages on Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries
Near-daily strikes since mid-July have killed nine, halted operations at key warehouses, and pushed the retailer’s debt towards $14 billion, prompting calls for government intervention.
Ukraine has intensified a campaign of near-daily drone attacks against Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, since mid-July, targeting logistics infrastructure in Podolsk, Tver, and Salavat. The strikes have resulted in at least nine employee fatalities, significant damage to approximately 20 warehouses, and an estimated 480 billion rubles in lost goods, according to the Moscow-based consultancy Data Insight. Combined damages to the company and its sellers are projected to reach 800 billion rubles, severely disrupting supply chains and affecting 400,000 sellers across the country.
Kyiv asserts that the attacks are designed to disrupt military supply lines, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy identifying the warehouses as elements of logistics used to distribute navigation systems and drone components to the front lines. While the Kremlin maintains the retailer serves only civilian purposes, an analysis by the independent outlet Verska identified tens of thousands of military and dual-use goods on the platform between May and August, generating hundreds of millions of rubles in sales.
The economic fallout extends beyond the retailer to Russia’s broader financial system. Wildberries, which controls roughly half of the domestic e-commerce market, has seen short-term borrowing spike nearly eightfold between 2024 and 2025. Total debt may reach $14 billion, with state-owned VTB Bank as the single-largest creditor. Sberbank, another major state-backed lender, has signalled it is preparing to absorb losses, raising concerns about a potential domino effect on the wider economy if the company were to face bankruptcy.
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of Zelenskyy’s office, stated that targeting the platform’s 6 trillion ruble turnover was intended to affect creditors and bring the war’s economic impact back to Russian elites. The strikes have also impacted civilians, with the Russian Association of Electronic Trading Platforms reporting that 400,000 sellers have been affected, leading to income losses and reduced access to goods for the platform’s 80 million monthly users.
Wildberries CEO Tatyana Kim has reportedly turned to the government for support following the sustained attacks. While the government has confirmed talks regarding potential assistance, no details on a decision have emerged. VTB is expected to play a key role in any rescue efforts, as the retailer’s massive logistics hubs, often spanning dozens of soccer fields, remain highly vulnerable targets in the ongoing conflict.
