Ukrainian drone strikes have disabled over a quarter of Wildberries' warehouse capacity, causing significant financial concerns for Russia's largest online retailer and its merchants.
Key facts
- •The drone campaign has put 14 Wildberries warehouses out of operation since July 18.
- •The affected space accounts for approximately 27% of the company's total warehouse capacity.
- •Potential rebuilding costs for the damaged facilities are estimated at 105 billion rubles.
- •Wildberries and Russ (RWB) reported a net profit of 175 billion rubles in 2025.
- •The company's market share is forecast to reach 45% of Russian online marketplace turnover in 2026.
A series of Ukrainian drone attacks, which began on July 18, has disabled 14 warehouses belonging to the Russian online retailer Wildberries. These facilities represent more than 1.5 million square meters of storage space, or approximately 27% of the company's total capacity. Kyiv has accused the retailer of supplying the Russian military with equipment, including drone components.
By the numbers
Financial Impact and Logistics Challenges
Estimates suggest that rebuilding the damaged facilities could cost roughly 105 billion rubles ($1.29 billion). Beyond infrastructure, merchants using the platform face potential losses estimated between 214.9 billion and 279.6 billion rubles ($2.64 billion–$3.44 billion) due to destroyed stock. CEO Tatyana Kim stated that while the company is not legally obligated to compensate sellers, it is exploring ways to provide financial assistance. The loss of these warehouses is forcing the company to reroute deliveries and seek alternative storage, including potential expansion into Kazakhstan. While the Russian government is considering support measures for affected sellers, analysts note that the overall economic impact remains limited, as the retail market remains competitive and the losses represent a small fraction of Russia's GDP.
Market Position and Growth
Wildberries, often referred to as Russia's Amazon, has seen rapid growth since Western brands exited the country in 2022. The company's gross merchandise value rose from 844 billion rubles in 2021 to 2.5 trillion rubles in 2023. Following a 2024 merger with the outdoor advertising group Russ, the combined entity, RWB, reported a 2025 turnover of 6.1 trillion rubles. Despite the current disruption, analysts suggest the attacks are unlikely to paralyze the broader Russian economy.
Timeline
- 2021Wildberries' gross merchandise value was 844 billion rubles.
- 2022Western brands left the Russian market, prompting local sellers to fill the gap.
- July 18The campaign of Ukrainian drone attacks against Wildberries facilities began.
- 2024Wildberries merged with the outdoor advertising group Russ.
- 2025The combined RWB group reported a net profit of 175 billion rubles.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Moscow Times.
