Russia’s Largest Online Retailer Is Being Targeted By Ukrainian Drones Attack As Part Of Its New Strategy: Hitting Moscow’s Economy

Ukraine's long-range drone campaign is expanding beyond oil refineries and military facilities, increasingly targeting the commercial infrastructure that underpins Russia's wartime economy.

The latest focus is Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, where repeated strikes on warehouses and logistics hubs have disrupted one of the country's most important consumer and business networks while forcing the Kremlin to consider financial support.

The attacks mark a significant evolution in Kyiv's strategy. Rather than concentrating solely on military assets, Ukraine is also striking companies that officials say help sustain Russia's war machine through logistics, financial ties and tax revenues.

Reuters reported that the Kremlin acknowledged it is monitoring the situation surrounding Wildberries after several warehouses were hit in Ukrainian drone attacks over the past two weeks.

The company has become one of Russia's biggest economic success stories, serving millions of customers and hundreds of thousands of merchants across the country. It has become a crucial marketplace for small businesses, with an extensive logistics network spanning Russia and neighboring countries.

According to the company, at least seven warehouses have suffered damage during the attacks, affecting roughly 10% of its logistics capacity. A warehouse in Ryazan was forced to halt operations after catching fire following the latest strike, while previous attacks damaged facilities in Moscow, Tambov and other regions.

Wildberries has also begun seeking warehouse space in Kazakhstan to safeguard inventory and maintain deliveries. The disruption extends well beyond the retailer itself. Tens of thousands of independent merchants rely on Wildberries to sell products throughout Russia. Delays in deliveries, inventory losses and interrupted fulfillment operations have left many sellers facing mounting financial losses during an already difficult wartime economy.

Earlier strikes on Wildberries warehouses killed eight employees and injured several others. On Monday, the company announced it had already paid 40 million rubles, or roughly $509,000, in compensation to victims and their families. Initial payments to relatives of those killed and to seriously injured workers began just days after the first attacks.

The growing damage has prompted discussions inside the Russian government over whether to provide state assistance to the privately owned retailer. Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that officials are considering a package that could include government-backed loans, tax relief or subsidies, with state-controlled lender VTB expected to play a central role in any rescue effort.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that authorities are closely monitoring the situation and praised Wildberries for supporting affected sellers. No final decision has been announced.

Ukraine argues that Wildberries is a legitimate wartime target because of its alleged links to Russia's defense sector and its relationship with VTB, one of the country's largest state-controlled banks, which has been under Western sanctions. Ukrainian officials contend that weakening companies connected to Russia's financial system increases the economic cost of continuing the war.