In brief
On 22 July 2026 a series of Ukrainian drone strikes hit four Wildberries warehouses across Russia, causing fires, casualties and massive inventory losses. The attacks, part of Kyiv’s strategy to hit logistics hubs that supply the Russian army, have left many independent sellers without compensation and shaken confidence in the platform’s safety. Wildberries’ owner offered temporary discounts but warned that further strikes would jeopardise the business. Meanwhile, the Russian economy faces worsening conditions: higher VAT, closures of 209,000 SMEs in Q1 2026, and widespread internet shutdowns. The incident underscores how wartime attacks are eroding the resilience of Russia’s civilian economy.
Ukrainian drones struck four Wildberries logistics hubs across Russia on 22 July 2026, setting warehouses ablaze and killing staff. These attacks are part of Kyiv’s strategy to target supply chains that feed the Russian armed forces.
The first strikes damaged a warehouse in Elektrostal, east of Moscow, and a site in Kotovsk in the Tambov region, some 400 km from the Ukrainian border. Seven workers were killed in Kotovsk and one was severely wounded at Elektrostal. The explosions destroyed goods estimated at £750 million (US$1 billion) and caused widespread fire damage.
Blames for the loss came from small‑scale sellers who rely exclusively on Wildberries. One mother of a disabled child expressed anger on social media, saying she had lost 1 million roubles (about £9,500) and feared the attack would ruin her business. Another seller who provides teenage clothing reported a loss of 1.4 million roubles (£13,300) and warned that any more strikes could push her out of the market.
Wildberries’ owner, Tatiana Kim, has promised the platform would not abandon its sellers. She offered temporary discounts and waived shipping fees, but many traders feel little relief and fear further attacks. Earlier in July, the company added a clause declaring drone attacks a “force majeure” event, eliminating liability for unsatisfied deliveries.
The attacks followed Ukrainian moves that have repeatedly targeted oil depots, refineries and other logistics infrastructure, aiming to disrupt supply routes for the Russian military. Kyiv also struck logistics hubs used to ship sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.
Additional Ukrainian strikes overnight on 23 July hit Wildberries hubs in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk in the Stavropol region, incurring further casualties and damage. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attacks as “bringing the war back home to Russia.”
Unlike Amazon, which sells directly to consumers, Wildberries and its rival Ozon operate mainly as marketplaces, connecting independent vendors with buyers, managing inventory, handling payments and shipping. This model means that the bulk of losses from the strikes falls on the sellers rather than the platform itself.
The war’s economic strain is already evident: VAT rose from 20% to 22% in January 2026, targeted tax breaks were withdrawn, and 209,000 small and medium‑sized enterprises shut down in the first quarter of 2026—a 9% rise compared with the same period in 2025. Internet shutdowns and a crackdown on messaging apps further hampered business operations, while fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian attacks have tightened supply chains nationwide.
Experts say the Wildberries attacks are another “nail in the coffin” for Russia’s civilian economy, which has seen oil revenues decline and inflation rise amid the ongoing conflict. The government’s reliance on vast financial reserves is increasingly offset by war spending, leaving little room for the domestic market to thrive.
The incidents highlight the broader impact of the Ukraine conflict on Russian small businesses and supply chains, underscoring how war logistics can cripple everyday commerce on the home front.
