Ukraine again strikes Russian logistics centers of Wildberries with drones

Zelensky justifies attacks as part of the defense struggle

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Telegram that what had been hit were "logistics centers involved in supplying the Russian army with components for drones, navigation equipment, and equipment." He thanked the armed forces "for these achievements" and went on to say: "We are bringing the war back home – to Russia" ("Wir bringen den Krieg - völlig zu Recht - nach Hause"). Zelensky justified the attacks as part of Ukraine's defensive struggle against the Russian war of aggression. According to him, Ukraine had also attacked a tanker and four cargo ships in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

These are not the first attacks of this kind: in recent days, Ukraine had already set fire to Wildberries logistics centers in the Moscow region and in the Tambov region. In total, eight people were killed and dozens injured in this wave of attacks, according to Russian figures. The newspaper "Kommersant" reported, based on expert estimates, that around seven percent of Wildberries' warehouse capacity is now unusable.

Damages in the billions and fears for livelihoods

The financial consequences are significant: the initial attacks caused damages estimated at between the equivalent of 550 million and more than one billion euros, Deutschlandfunk reported. Wildberries has so far not commented on the extent of the damage from the latest attacks. The company is not listed on the stock exchange.

Many small and medium-sized enterprises use the logistics centers as warehouses for their goods and pay rent to Wildberries; many now fear for their livelihoods. The e-commerce lobbying association Aurek has called on the Russian government to defer tax payments for affected companies by six months. Fear of further attacks drove the share price of competitor Ozon down four percent on the Moscow Stock Exchange on Wednesday, as reporters reported, citing trading data.

Kremlin rejects accusations and speaks of terror

The Kremlin rejected the narrative that Wildberries warehouses also serve to supply the Russian military. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, a few days after the deadly attacks, that the situation was difficult for the retailer and its customers. Referring to the attacks, Peskov said: "Das Kiewer Regime setzt seine Schläge gegen zivile Objekte fort, darin liegt der Terrorcharakter des Kiewer Regimes". Russian investigators announced probes into an "attack" ("Anschlag").

Russian investigators accused Ukraine of having fired on civilian objects with the attacks on the logistics centers in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the country's economic situation as stable at a meeting despite the Ukrainian attacks. Online retail in Russia grew by 28 percent to around 128 billion euros in 2025 according to industry data; revenue from goods and services accounts for around 8.5 percent of Russian economic output, according to government figures.

Background: Wildberries – from clothing mail-order company to "Russian Amazon"

Research by Deutschlandfunk found that fiberglass cable reels ten kilometers in length, produced in China, can actually be ordered via the platform wildberries.ru. The "Guardian" reported on Tuesday on another attack on a Wildberries site in the Yuzhnye Vorota industrial park.

Wildberries was once an online shop reselling clothing from European catalogs and has since expanded its range into a marketplace that also includes third-party sellers. The company is now one of Russia's largest employers and is frequently referred to as the Russian counterpart to Amazon. Founder Tatyana Kim announced the attacks on Wednesday via Telegram.

Outlook: further attacks and possible consequences for the economy

Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for more than four years, also employing drone strikes on Russian targets. Zelensky defended the latest attacks as targets in Kyiv's defensive struggle against the Russian war of aggression. He explained that goods subject to Western sanctions and usable for both civilian and military purposes had been stored at the sites hit.