Overview
- Since July 18, multiple long‑range Ukrainian drone strikes have struck Wildberries distribution centres across Russia, destroying warehouses and sparking large fires.
- Russian officials and media report civilian deaths and scores of injuries, and some outlets estimate the attacks damaged roughly 10% of Wildberries’ logistics capacity.
- Wildberries has begun paying initial compensation to tens of thousands of sellers, frozen in‑house loan repayments for three months, and changed seller terms to limit liability for drone or missile damage.
- Many small merchants say payouts fall short of their losses and that destroyed inventory has left them unable to meet loans and taxes, prompting legal threats and public complaints.
- The strikes have sharpened a legal and political dispute over whether large e‑commerce hubs are lawful military targets and are raising practical risks for supply chains, insurance and Russia’s domestic economy.