Ukrainian drones strike Wildberries warehouses, crippling Russia’s small businesses

Mon Sep 14 2026 14:26:21 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Ukrainian drones hit Wildberries sites across Russia, routing small businesses into crisis and pointing to deeper war‑driven economic blow.

Ukrainian drone strikes have hit several Wildberries warehouses in Russia, devastating the livelihoods of thousands of small and medium‑sized enterprises that rely on the e‑commerce platform for sales. The attacks have resulted in loss of inventory worth several million roubles, killed workers, and forced sellers to halt new stock shipments. Wildberries owner Tatiana Kim has offered temporary discounts and waived freight fees, but many merchants fear further assaults will be unsustainable. The strikes underline how Russia’s war economy is eroding domestic business resilience amid sanctions and supply‑chain disruptions.

Wildberries warehouses under Ukrainian drone assault

Small‑to‑medium businesses across Russia have felt the sharp blow of war as Ukrainian drones hit a series of Wildberries logistics hubs in a single week.

The first attacks struck warehouses in Elektrostal east of Moscow and Kotovsk in the Tambov region, killing seven night‑shift workers in Kotovsk and one in Elektrostal. Goods worth an estimated £750m were destroyed and workers were injured.

Ukrainian authorities say they are targeting “major logistics facilities” used to supply sanctioned components for drone production, but the attacks have routed the suppliers themselves. Wildberries, which serves 85‑90% of Russia’s economically active population, connects independent sellers with buyers, paying for storage and delivery.

An independent trader who sold stationery items lost the entire inventory she had delivered to the Elektrostal hub on the night before the attack. Another Wildberries seller who specializes in teenage clothing estimates a loss of about 1.4m roubles and will pause orders for weeks.

Wildberries’ owner, Tatiana Kim, has committed to support sellers and offered temporary shipping discounts. However, the contract clause added last month states that drones are a force‑majeure event for which Wildberries is not liable, limiting compensation prospects.

The attacks are part of Kyiv’s broader drone campaign aimed at disrupting Russian supply chains and easing pressure on annexed Crimea. They add to a string of blows from Ukrainian strikes on oil depots, refineries and logistics sites, contributing to fuel shortages and financial strain for Russia’s civilian economy.

The Russian government has said it will not abandon the retail sector, but small firms continue to suffer from higher VAT, revoked tax breaks, internet shutdowns, and a widening budget deficit as defence spending climbs. With 209,000 small and medium‑sized companies closed in the first quarter of 2026, the Wildberries attacks represent another “nail in the coffin” for the domestic economy, says Prof Ruben Eniklopov of Pompeu Fabra University.