In the space of three weeks, Vasily Klimov’s online shopping pick-up point in Moscow has gone from a healthy small business to a loss-making operation he is now desperately trying to sell.
Klimov runs one of 98,000 pick-up points in Russia and neighbouring countries where customers collect goods ordered through Wildberries, the country’s leading e-commerce retailer.
But since July 18, when Ukraine began targeting Wildberries warehouses across Russia in a wave of near-nightly drone attacks, his business has taken a massive dive.
Attacks on at least 20 of the company’s sites have sparked major fires, destroyed entire warehouses of stock, and disrupted its vast logistics network across the world’s largest country.
A Reuters review of satellite imagery shows at least 1.18 million square metres of warehouse space – more than a fifth of the company’s capacity – has been damaged or destroyed. Wildberries, which reported yet another attack on Friday, says it is seeking partners to open new storage hubs.
The disruption is sending shockwaves through Russia’s retail sector, affecting not only franchise operators like Klimov but also tens of thousands of small businesses that rely on Wildberries to sell their products online.
“Sales have dropped by about 50% over the past month, and that is because there are almost no deliveries,” said Klimov, whose outlet operates under a Wildberries franchise agreement.
“The last month has been entirely loss-making.”
Ukraine strikes Russia’s Wildberries
Ukraine has attacked around 20 Wildberries warehouses in Russia over the last month, hurting the e-commerce giant that has become a key employer and driver of the country’s economy.
Source: Strike locations confirmed by verified video and satellite imagery.
WAREHOUSE ATTACKS BRING WAR’S COSTS TO BUSINESS
At least 13 people have been killed in the warehouse attacks. Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russia since February 2022, denies targeting civilians and says the strikes are part of a campaign to “bring the war home” to ordinary Russians and raise the cost to Moscow of continuing the conflict.
Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-attacks-wildberries-strike-heart-russia-inc-2026-08-07
