Ukraine has launched a series of drone attacks against multiple logistics facilities of Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, hitting five warehouses in a single week. The strikes have resulted in at least nine fatalities and the destruction of vast amounts of inventory. The latest attack occurred on the morning of July 24, igniting a fire at a Wildberries warehouse in the Leningrad region near St. Petersburg. The regional governor confirmed the strike, reporting three injuries.

Wildberries is a dominant force in the Russian e-commerce market, with a turnover of 6.1 trillion rubles (approximately $78 billion) last year, capturing nearly half of the country's online retail market share. The platform primarily serves low-income populations outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg, with its pickup point network extending into small towns and villages, becoming a vital hub for local life. Last year, the company proposed a global expansion plan to Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming to challenge the US-led payment system.

Reports indicate that the first four attacks destroyed roughly 444,000 square meters of warehouse space, accounting for 8% of the company's total storage capacity. The cost of rebuilding could reach as high as 360 billion rubles (about $460 million). According to Forbes Russia, the initial strikes on two warehouses—one near Elektrostal, Moscow, and another in Kotovsk to the south—caused an estimated 150 to 235 billion rubles in inventory losses, approaching the 175 billion rubles net profit Wildberries projected for 2025.

Ukraine has stated that the attacks are retaliation for Russia's previous strikes on warehouses belonging to Ukrainian private postal company Nova Poshta. Ukraine also claims that Wildberries' logistics network is used to supply Russian forces with drone components, navigation equipment, and other hardware. A Kremlin spokesman has denied these allegations. However, the Wildberries platform does host sellers offering materials that could be used to manufacture combat drones, as well as frontline supplies like body armor and helmets.

The attacks have inflicted severe damage on numerous small and medium-sized businesses that rely on the Wildberries platform for sales. Multiple sellers have posted videos on social media, describing their entire stock being wiped out overnight. According to reports, sellers in online groups are complaining that Wildberries is offering only minimal compensation. One seller who lost goods worth 1.5 million rubles in the Elektrostal fire received just 37,000 rubles in reimbursement.

Less than two weeks before the first round of attacks, Wildberries amended its terms of service, classifying drone strikes as a force majeure event, thereby exempting the company from liability for compensating merchants for lost goods. Amid growing public anger, the company's co-founder and CEO stated that insurers are unwilling to cover losses from drone strikes. The executive has pledged to compensate 88,000 of the "smallest and most vulnerable" sellers, calculating payments based on their sales velocity and prices before the attacks. Analysts note that the destruction of goods will likely force thousands of merchants out of business, leading to reduced tax revenue and loan defaults, ultimately costing the government hundreds of billions of rubles in lost tax income.