Ukraine hits more warehouses of Russia's top online retailer Wildberries
Ukrainian Drone Strikes Target Russian E-Commerce Giant
MOSCOW, July 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine has attacked two more warehouses of Russian online retailer Wildberries, its boss said on Wednesday, extending a series of drone strikes on a company at the heart of Russia's consumer economy.
Tatyana Kim, the co-founder and head of Wildberries, said warehouses had been attacked in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, both in southern Russia.
Details of the Attacks
Social media footage, verified by Reuters, showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the air in Krasnodar. The regional governor said a young woman had been killed and three other people were being treated in hospital.
Impact on Wildberries and Competitors
Wildberries, often described as Russia's Amazon, is one of the country's biggest employers. Its shares are not publicly traded, but those of its rival Ozon were down 2.3% on Wednesday afternoon, recovering somewhat from earlier lows, on concerns it too could become a target.
Strategic Significance of the Strikes
The attacks on Wildberries' massive warehouses mark a new stage in Ukraine's campaign of deep strikes inside Russia to undermine Moscow's war effort and bring the conflict home to ordinary Russians.
Ukrainian and Russian Responses
Ukraine, whose own cities are under constant attack, says it is hitting companies and infrastructure that support the Russian military. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday described the latest targets as logistics hubs involved in supplying Russian forces with drone components and other equipment.
The Kremlin has denied Wildberries handles military supplies. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's logistics hubs as well as its energy system and power grid.
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A previous strike by Ukrainian drones on Saturday killed eight Wildberries workers, sparked fires and disrupted the company's operations.
"There are no words to describe all the feelings and emotions caused by the attacks on ordinary people, on our employees, on all of us who are simply doing our jobs," Kim, the company's boss, said in a post on Telegram after the latest attacks.
The extent of the damage, and the impact for customers, was not immediately clear.
Customer Reactions and Market Impact
In street interviews in Moscow, several people told Reuters they had not seen any disruption so far to deliveries from Wildberries. One woman said she had switched to ordering from Ozon after hearing of the attacks.
One man, who gave his name as Mikhail, said he bought gadgets from Wildberries from time to time and his wife used it nearly every week.
"It helps that they offer refunds and payment upon delivery, among other things. That makes things a little less stressful," he said. "It's still worrying, of course, but these are the times we live in. What else can you do? If the warehouses burn down and things happen, then we will just have to accept it."
An e-commerce lobby group, AUREK, said it had asked the government to delay tax payments for half a year for businesses that sustained losses from the attacks.
Background and Market Overview
Wildberries' Growth and Role in Russian E-Commerce
Wildberries started as an online shop reselling apparel from European catalogues. It has since expanded its product range and evolved into a marketplace that includes third-party vendors. Wildberries has not commented on the scale of the damage.
Russian Online Sales Statistics
Online sales across Russia rose 28% in 2025 to 11.5 trillion roubles ($147 billion), according to the Association of Internet Trade Companies. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said sales of goods and services on digital platforms equated to around 8.5% of GDP.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Toby Chopra)
