Ukraine targets Russia’s top online retailer with more strikes on warehouses

Ukraine targets Russia’s top online retailer with more strikes on warehouses

MOSCOW — 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.

Social media footage, verified by Reuters, showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the air in Krasnodar.

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. SOCIAL MEDIA via REUTERS
Smoke rises from a Wildberries warehouse on fire after an attack in Krasnodar, Russia, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in this still image obtained from social media video.  SOCIAL MEDIA via REUTERS
Social media footage, verified by Reuters, showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the air in Krasnodar. SOCIAL MEDIA via REUTERS

The regional governor said a young ​woman had been killed and three other people were being treated in hospital.

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 percent on ⁠Wednesday afternoon, recovering somewhat from earlier lows, on concerns it too could become a target.

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.

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.

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian FPV drone strike on a fuel station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on July 22, 2026, amid the Russian invasion. SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA/Shutterstock

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.

E-commerce lobby group seeks tax deferals

A previous strike by Ukrainian drones on Saturday killed eight Wildberries workers, sparked fires ​and disrupted the company’s operations.

A firefighting helicopter attempts to extinguish a fire at the Russian e-commerce firm Wildberries’ logistics complexes in the town of Elektrostal outside Moscow on Saturday, July 18, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

“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.

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.

Local residents walk past the smoke of a fire at the Russian e-commerce firm Wildberries’ logistics complexes in the town of Elektrostal outside Moscow on July 18, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

“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.

Wildberries started as an online shop reselling apparel from European catalogues.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference in the gardens of the Presidential Palace during Britain’s Prime Minister’s visit to Ukraine before leaving office, in Kyiv, on July 16, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

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.

Online sales across Russia rose 28 percent 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 percent of GDP.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *