Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Wildberries Warehouses Cause Massive Financial Losses

Ukrainian drone attacks on the logistics network of Wildberries, Russia's largest online marketplace, have resulted in estimated combined losses for the company and its sellers ranging from 600 billion to 800 billion rubles. According to analysts cited by Forbes and reported by multiple outlets, the cost to rebuild infrastructure could reach 278.9 billion rubles, while losses for sellers, including lost profits, are estimated between 445 billion and 700 billion rubles. Some sellers have reportedly lost up to 95 percent of their inventory. The campaign began on July 18 and targeted hubs in various regions, including St. Petersburg, Voronezh, and occupied Crimea. Estimates suggest that approximately 16 of the 26 main logistics hubs have been disabled, affecting roughly half of the total floor space of the largest complexes. In response, the Bank of Russia has recommended that banks avoid charging penalties or demanding early loan repayments from affected small and medium businesses. While Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak ordered the development of support measures by August 10, public details on these measures have not yet been released. Meanwhile, a specialized military marketplace called Roy.Market is reportedly onboarding sellers from Wildberries to provide drone components and protective equipment. The Ukrainian government justifies the strikes by stating that Wildberries sells dual use goods such as fiber optic cables for drones and body armor, and frames the campaign as a symmetric response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian logistics companies like Nova Poshta.