In just a few days, one tenth of the logistics capacities of Wildberries - the largest online retail company in Russia with an annual turnover of over 6 trillion rubles last year (about 3% of Russia's GDP) - became the subject of attacks by Ukrainian drones. According to data from "Kommersant", no less than 8% of the total volume of warehouse space was destroyed or seriously damaged - in four large logistics centers located in the Moscow and Tambov regions, as well as in the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories.
The restoration of the damaged facilities - and this is about 450 thousand sq. m. - will cost at least 35 billion rubles, not including the cost of equipment, experts believe. This is a lot - a fifth of the platform's annual profit. But even more significant are the damages caused to entrepreneurs who stored goods in the affected logistics centers. They are estimated at at least 250 billion rubles.
Wildberries has previously released itself from liability to its partners for goods damaged or destroyed as a result of "force majeure", to which it attributed, among other things, drone attacks. The company has begun paying compensation, but sellers in specialized chats say that the amounts are symbolic. Thus, the platform's direct losses will most likely be serious, but not devastating.
The problem is that the attacks may continue. According to unconfirmed data, on the night of July 23, another attack was carried out - on warehouses in Voronezh and Kazan. If Wildberries' logistics business collapses, it will become a problem not only for the owners. It plays an important role in the lives of most Russians - according to research company Data Insight, in 2025 they made 4.3 billion orders on this platform.
Why do Russians shop at Wildberries?
Wildberries is also called the "Russian Amazon". This analogy is appropriate. Like Amazon, the largest Russian online marketplace is a showcase where anyone can display goods - from self-employed individuals to individual entrepreneurs to large companies. Hence another comparison, albeit less flattering: the "digital Cherkizon" (the largest flea market near Moscow, which operated until 2009 - ed.). But for Russians, Wildberries and its closest competitor Ozon mean more than Amazon does for American or European consumers.
According to the estimate of the research company "Eyler", cited by "Kommersant", Wildberries' share in Russia amounts to 45%, and Ozon's - 32%. That is, only the two platforms - not counting the smaller "Yandex.Market" and "Kuper" - control almost 80% of the market.
How sanctions stimulated the growth of Wildberries and its competitors
After Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, the development of these platforms received a new impetus. Due to sanctions or on their own initiative, many popular companies left the country. To prevent a shortage, the authorities legalized "parallel imports": they allowed the import of goods without permission from the rights holders. Ordinary clothes, electronics, household appliances and cosmetics reappeared on store shelves and on the Internet. Moreover, prices on online platforms turned out to be significantly lower than those of other market participants. As a result, sales growth accelerated sharply. Thus, Wildberries' turnover in 2025 increased more than seven times compared to 2021.
Dmitry Alekseev from the DNS electronics store chain, which, according to Data Insight, ranks fourth in terms of online sales in Russia after Wildberries, Ozon and "Yandex.Market", has the following explanation for this phenomenon: online markets have become a channel for selling "contraband" - goods imported through "gray" schemes, bypassing customs and without paying taxes. Hence the low prices.
Why did Ukraine attack Wildberries, but not Ozon?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the affected Wildberries warehouses on social media as "logistics centers involved in supplying the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment and equipment". The Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov denied this as a lie, but his words do not correspond to reality: all of the above is offered on the platform and can be easily found there.
A separate question is whether Wildberries' infrastructure can be considered a "legitimate military target" simply because the platform sells dual-use goods. International law experts interviewed by "Medusa" believe it not - unlike oil refineries. But the International Criminal Court in The Hague is unlikely to open an investigation into the attacks, as Russia has not ratified the Rome Statute that regulates its activities.
If the attacks on the warehouses continue and Wildberries' logistics are seriously affected, it is unlikely that this will affect the supply of the Russian army. The same goods are offered on both Ozon and "Yandex.Market", and their logistics are more reliable, since they use different centers for different activities - for ordering, sorting, distribution centers and for delivery to the final address. Maintaining such a chain is more expensive, but it is much more resistant to individual attacks. In other words: Wildberries’ key sites are simply easier to attack.
Are they at risk from drone attacks and other Russian companies?
Wildberries’ logistics centers may be the easiest targets, but the possibility of attacks on other companies’ sites cannot be ruled out. According to Bloomberg, some of them have already begun exploring options for diversifying their storage capacities and routes. Among these companies are the largest supermarket operators, including X5 (the Pyaterochka, Perekrestok, and Chizhik chains) or Lenta.
According to Ekaterina Vlasova, Bloomberg’s Central and Eastern Europe economist, businesses will have to sacrifice efficiency for security – to distribute their inventories, duplicate their production capacities, and allocate more funds for security. This will further undermine labor productivity, which is already limiting the growth of the Russian economy – perhaps even more than all other factors. At the same time, the increase in companies’ logistics and operating costs will ultimately be passed on to consumers, she adds.
It is currently impossible to predict how much prices will rise – the market has yet to assess the scale of the new risks. Along with restructuring logistics, one of the obvious measures seems to be insurance – both for warehouses and for the goods stored in them. However, Wildberries co-founder Tatyana Kim claims that "most Russian insurers are not ready to insure large industrial facilities against this risk" (drone attacks – ed.).
Author: Oleg Loginov