Russian Book Publishers Suspend Sales on Wildberries Following Ukrainian Drone Attacks

Both major and independent Russian book publishers are suspending sales on Wildberries, the largest marketplace in Russia, following a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on the company's warehouses. According to reports from Kommersant, at least seven such cases have been identified. The attacks, which began in mid July and included strikes in Elektrostal and Kotovsk, have caused significant disruption to logistics. Sources cited by The Bell estimate that Wildberries' direct losses could exceed 100 billion rubles.

Several publishers have publicly announced changes to their distribution. Boomkniga suspended deliveries to marketplaces on July 30, directing customers to its own website and independent bookstores. Alpaca stated that pre orders on Wildberries should not be expected in the foreseeable future, suggesting customers use Ozon or the publisher's own stores. Eksmo, one of the market's largest participants, is currently calculating damages from the strikes. Eksmo CEO Yevgeny Kapyev noted that the company is shifting to deliveries from its own warehouses, a transition that is increasing costs.

Wildberries has disputed the claim that publishers are leaving the platform. A company spokesperson stated that they have not recorded publishers leaving, but rather that publishers are transitioning to a sales model using their own warehouses. Other industry data from the Digital Development Ministry indicates that while the book industry's turnover grew 11 percent year over year, marketplaces remain primary drivers of the market despite causing a decline in traditional bookstore sales due to price dumping.