Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer and often dubbed "Russia's Amazon," has become a direct target for Ukrainian drone attacks. Founded in 2004, the company employs approximately 48,000 people and, according to one analyst, its marketplace alone accounts for roughly 3% of Russia's GDP. Ukraine's strategy behind these attacks is to disrupt a key logistics channel for the Russian military and to bring the reality of the war closer to the Russian population.
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, claim these strikes are destroying "logistics hubs involved in supplying the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment, and other gear." Indeed, Wildberries previously featured a "Everything for the SVO" (Special Military Operation) catalog with over 200,000 listings, including battlefield items like body armor and drone components. Many items were even listed with a "tested in the SVO" badge and official Russian certifications. Military bloggers have also highlighted the platform's indispensability for front-line soldiers, posting about in-demand items such as first-person-view drones and spare parts.
The economic impact on Wildberries has been substantial. Estimates suggest the company's total losses could reach approximately $2.3 billion, with physical damage to warehouses alone estimated at around $400 million. Sellers' losses from destroyed inventory could add another $2 billion, much of which may be unrecoverable. Some reports indicate that roughly 8% to 10% of the company's total logistics capacity has been affected, and restoring this capacity could cost as much as 33 billion rubles ($421 million). The Kremlin has acknowledged the "difficult" situation and the losses incurred by both Wildberries and small- and medium-sized businesses.
The attacks are also intended as a psychological operation. Ukrainian drone force commander Robert Brovdi indicated that the strikes aim to disrupt the "illusion of a comfortable peacetime" for Russians, challenging President Putin's promise that the war would not directly affect ordinary citizens. The widespread use of the Wildberries app means the war is now tangibly impacting daily life for many Russians. The company's sheer size and substantial debt could also lead to wider ripple effects across the Russian economy, potentially impacting banks and leading to bankruptcies among smaller enterprises. Wildberries even updated its terms and conditions to include drone and missile attacks in its force majeure clause shortly before the initial strikes.
