Ukrainian drone strikes have targeted multiple warehouses of Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, across the Leningrad, Krasnodar, and Moscow regions in July 2026.
The campaign against Wildberries marks a shift in Ukraine’s deep-strike strategy, moving beyond traditional military targets to hit the platform economy
that sustains millions of Russian consumers. By targeting the country’s equivalent of Amazon, Kyiv is bringing the physical consequences of the conflict directly to the doorsteps of ordinary citizens and the small businesses that rely on the marketplace.
Drone Strikes Across the Leningrad and Moscow Regions
On July 24, 2026, a warehouse in the Leningrad region near St. Petersburg caught fire following a drone attack, according to Reuters. Three people were injured in the strike. The assault extended into St. Petersburg, where Governor Aleksandr Beglov reported that air defense systems were engaged and civilian infrastructure along the Moskovskoye Highway was hit.
The scale of the disruption in the northwest was significant. Wildberries temporarily suspended operations at its logistics facilities in Shushary and Utkina Zavod. Another strike caused a warehouse to collapse at the Severnaya Poultry Farm in the village of Sinyavino.
These attacks follow a deadly weekend starting July 18, when drones hit logistics hubs in Elektrostal and the Tambov region. Those initial strikes killed eight people. In total, five Wildberries warehouses—representing roughly 10% of the company’s logistics capacity—have been targeted since July 18.
The Logistics of War: Military vs. Civilian Targets
A sharp contradiction exists between Kyiv and Moscow regarding the nature of these facilities. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has described the targets as logistics hubs involved in supplying Russian forces with drone components and other equipment.
The Kremlin has denied these claims. The Kremlin has denied that Wildberries handles military supplies.
Tatyana Kim and the Economic Stakes
Born in Grozny in 1975, Kim founded Wildberries in 2004 after working as an English teacher. Her growth from a home-based apparel business to the top retailer in Russia has made her a business icon; Forbes Russia estimated her fortune at US$8.1-billion in April.
The company’s systemic importance is vast. Along with its rival Ozon, Wildberries accounts for 8.5% of Russia’s GDP and employs 4 million people, more than 5% of the national workforce. According to analyst Sergei Semko of Data Insight, Wildberries currently handles 52 per cent of all online orders in Russia.
Impact on Small Businesses and Consumer Behavior
While the company focuses on infrastructure, the real collateral damage is felt by the third-party sellers who use the platform to reach customers across Russia’s vast territory. Kim noted that the company is seeking government help via tax breaks to support these partners.
The financial blow is compounded by insurance gaps. Kim told journalists that the company’s insurance policies had no provision for acts of terrorism and sabotage
.
The Strategic Risk to Russia’s Platform Economy
The targeting of Wildberries is a direct hit to the platform economy
—a sector the Kremlin views as a way to revitalize a war-stagnated economy. This new form of planned economy, as described by Maxim Oreshkin, relies on algorithms rather than Soviet-style institutions to drive growth.
By disrupting these hubs, Ukraine is not just damaging physical assets but threatening the stability of the digital infrastructure that connects millions of couriers, warehouse workers, and entrepreneurs.
The ongoing vulnerability of these sites suggests that as long as supplies continue to flow through civilian marketplaces, the boundary between Russia’s consumer economy and its military supply chain will remain a primary target for Ukrainian drones.
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