Russia's businesses under strain from Ukraine's attacks on Wildberries

Lead

Ukrainian drone strikes have hit several warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, in a campaign that has killed workers and devastated small and medium-sized businesses that depend on the platform. The attacks, which Kyiv says target logistics hubs used to supply its army, have brought the war home to hundreds of Russian sellers and customers.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting from BBC and the South China Morning Post offers complementary views of the strikes. BBC focuses on the human impact, detailing the deaths and injuries of warehouse workers and the frustration of sellers who have lost goods and income. The South China Morning Post frames the attacks in the broader economic context, highlighting Wildberries' central role in Russia's consumer economy and the potential disruption to millions of orders.

Both outlets describe the strikes as part of Ukraine's wider military campaign, with BBC noting that Kyiv says it is now targeting logistics hubs after months of attacks on oil depots and refineries. The South China Morning Post adds that Russia has attacked Ukrainian infrastructure, logistics, and enterprises throughout the 4½-year war.

Key Claims

• Wildberries is Russia's top online retailer, according to the South China Morning Post, which notes it processes 20 million orders a day at warehouses with a combined area of 3 million square metres.
• Ukraine has attacked four Wildberries warehouses over the last week, as reported by the South China Morning Post. BBC separately says Ukrainian drones have hit several warehouses in a matter of days.
• In what BBC describes as Ukraine's first attack on Wildberries at the weekend, two warehouses were hit: one at Elektrostal east of Moscow and one in Kotovsk in the Tambov region, some 400km from the Ukrainian border.
• Seven workers on a nightshift were killed in Kotovsk and one was fatally wounded at Elektrostal, according to BBC. Dozens more were injured and goods worth an estimated £750m ($1bn) were destroyed.
• The attacks have affected small and medium-sized businesses, BBC reports, as Wildberries and its rival Ozon act almost entirely as marketplaces, connecting independent sellers with buyers and storing and delivering their goods. Many of the losses are therefore borne by businesses, not the retailer itself.
• Tatyana Kim, Wildberries' co-founder, is Russia's richest woman with a net worth of $7 billion, according to Forbes as cited by the South China Morning Post.

Perspectives

The Ukrainian government has stated it struck "major logistics facilities" used to "supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment," a claim carried by BBC. Kyiv says it is disrupting supplies to the Russian army.

Russian sellers interviewed by BBC express frustration and anger at the attacks. One woman, who sells stationery, told BBC that Wildberries was her only distribution channel and that goods delivered to the Elektrostal warehouse were destroyed. Another seller complained on social media that she had lost 1m roubles (£9,500; $12,700), saying "We're already getting screwed over from every direction as it is."