A wave of Ukrainian drone attacks has knocked out more than a quarter of Wildberries’ warehouse capacity, threatening to disrupt the logistics network behind Russia’s largest online retailer and inflict billions of dollars in losses on the company and its sellers.
Analysts say the attacks are unlikely to pose a serious threat to Russia’s wider economy. But a prolonged campaign could drive up Wildberries’ costs, delay deliveries and weaken its grip on a fiercely competitive market that has expanded rapidly since Western brands left Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
The campaign, which began on July 18, has repeatedly targeted facilities where merchants’ goods are stored before being shipped to customers. Kyiv has accused Wildberries of supplying the Russian military with drone components and other equipment.
By Monday, attacks had put 14 warehouses covering more than 1.5 million square meters out of operation, according to an estimate by the investigative outlet Vyorstka. That is equivalent to about 27% of the company’s total warehouse space.
Wildberries is privately held, meaning there is no share price through which to gauge investor reaction. The company has also not published a comprehensive estimate of the damage caused by the strikes.
