Ukrainian Drone Strikes on Wildberries Warehouses Impact Russian Retail Giant
2 sources across 2 countries · Latvia · Qatar · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- Meduza
- Al Jazeera
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every outlet covering this story shares the same political lean; read with that in mind.
Ukrainian drone attacks on warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, have led to a significant decline in advertising spending on the platform. According to the Russian business daily Kommersant, spending on direct banner advertising dropped 63 percent in July compared to June. Sources at major advertising agencies reported that some advertisers have completely frozen their budgets or significantly cut investment in several categories. Wildberries acknowledged some changes in advertising volume but stated the scale of the decline has been exaggerated.
Since mid July, at least 12 warehouses have been fully or partially destroyed by two dozen drone strikes, resulting in 13 deaths and dozens of injuries. Recent targets include a warehouse in Yekaterinburg and a logistical hub on the outskirts of Voronezh. Wildberries operates 40 mammoth warehouses and nearly 200 smaller facilities, with a 2025 turnover of 79 billion dollars, which represents nearly 3 percent of Russia's gross domestic product.
Kyiv has described the warehouses as legitimate targets, alleging that the company sells military or dual purpose items such as drone components and first aid kits. Both the Kremlin and Wildberries deny that the company supplies the Russian army. Analysts suggest the strikes are intended to disrupt the Russian economy and bring the social and political consequences of the war home to the Russian population.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The coverage focused on the economic repercussions of the attacks, specifically the decline in advertising revenue and the strategic intent behind targeting Russian logistics.
Sources
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