Ukrainian Drone Attacks Target Wildberries Warehouses

Ukrainian drone attacks have targeted multiple warehouses of Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, causing significant damage to infrastructure and disrupting operations. The Russian government is exploring potential support for the company as it assesses the impact of these strikes (The Guardian). Since July 18, Ukrainian forces have hit at least 20 Wildberries facilities across various regions, including near Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tver region, Khryastovo in Vladimir province, and Volgograd.

These attacks have resulted in substantial damage to the company's storage capacity and infrastructure. According to Reuters, a review of satellite imagery shows at least 1.18 million square metres of storage space - more than a fifth of the company's capacity - has been damaged or destroyed. The strikes have also caused injuries: five people were killed and ten injured in an attack on a warehouse in Chekhov, Moscow region (Reuters). In Khryastovo, three people were injured according to state-run TASS news agency (UPI). Wildberries confirmed that several of its logistic hubs caught fire but reported no casualties at those locations.

The Ukrainian government has stated that it is targeting Wildberries because of its role in supplying Moscow's army and its partnership with state-controlled bank VTB. Denys Shtilerman, an executive at Ukraine's leading arms producer Fire Point, said Wildberries' demise would lead to the collapse of a large number of banks, including VTB (The Guardian). The Kremlin praised Wildberries for providing assistance to affected sellers despite having no legal obligation to do so.

Wildberries and its rival Ozon are central to Russia's plans for economic growth as Moscow faces mounting budget pressures from increased military spending. The company reported debt of 830 billion roubles ($10.58 billion) under Russian accounting standards, but said this was at a comfortable level when calculated using international standards (Reuters). Analysts noted that uncertainty surrounding Wildberries' situation weighed on VTB's share price, which fell 2.5% following the attacks.

The recent attacks have destroyed approximately 10% of Wildberries' storage capacity, causing substantial losses for tens of thousands of small businesses that rely on the platform. The company stated it would need at least 30 days to assess the damage before making payments to affected sellers (Reuters). Wildberries has announced discounts on storage fees and pledged 40 million roubles ($508,582) in assistance to families of those killed or injured in the attacks (The Guardian).

In related developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss licenses for producing Patriot interceptors and the importance of reinvigorating diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate took initial steps toward passing a sweeping Russian sanctions bill that would penalize countries continuing to buy Russian oil and gas (The Guardian). The legislation passed its first procedural vote 86-12.

Russia and Ukraine traded accusations on Tuesday that each side’s attacks caused civilian deaths, with officials in the Moscow region saying five people were killed there while authorities in Ukraine said a similar number, including two children, died at various sites across the country. The death toll from a drone strike on Monday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Arkhipo-Osipovka rose to seven, including four children, regional authorities said (TimesLIVE).