Ukraine's Drone Campaign Targets Russia's E-Commerce Giant

For a month, Ukrainian drones have systematically targeted the sprawling warehouse network of Wildberries, Russia's dominant online retailer. The strikes, which began on a July weekend, have hit facilities from Moscow and St. Petersburg to cities in the south and as far east as the Ural Mountains, marking a significant expansion of Kyiv's long-range attack strategy.

The depots, some covering up to 300,000 square meters, are described as soft targets — unprotected and highly flammable. The first major fire, at a hub in Elektrostal east of Moscow, took three days to extinguish. Analysts estimate that up to 20% of Wildberries' total warehouse space has been destroyed, with losses potentially reaching $6 billion.

The campaign has sent shockwaves through Russia's economy. Wildberries, which handles roughly half of all online orders in the country, is a critical link for an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 sellers. Many small businesses have lost their entire inventory and now face ruin, unable to service loans or pay taxes. The company itself, burdened with debts estimated at $15 billion, is under severe financial strain, raising concerns about the stability of major lenders like VTB and Sberbank.

Tatyana Kim, Russia's wealthiest female entrepreneur with a fortune once estimated at $8.1 billion, founded Wildberries in 2004 from her Moscow apartment. The company grew into a logistics behemoth, relying on about two dozen mammoth warehouses to serve 100,000 pickup points across 11 time zones. It expanded into banking and tourism, and even considered buying an airline.

The strikes have also brought the war home to ordinary Russians. Consumers face delivery delays and shortages, while pickup point owners report plunging revenue. The company has said it is reinforcing its sites and rearranging supply chains, but the attacks have continued.

Ukrainian officials say the goal is to disrupt military supplies — noting that dual-use items like drone components and thermal sights are sold on the platform — and to breed popular discontent. The strategy has drawn mixed reactions. Some pro-Kremlin voices argue the attacks will only strengthen anti-Ukrainian sentiment and calls for escalation. Former President Dmitry Medvedev has sought to frame the strikes as an attack on ordinary citizens rather than the state.

For now, the full economic impact remains unclear, but the campaign has underscored Ukraine's ability to strike deep inside Russia and has added a new layer of pressure on an economy already strained by sanctions and the costs of war.