Ukraine Drone Strikes Cause $5 Billion Loss for Wildberries

Ukrainian drone attacks have struck nearly two dozen warehouses belonging to Wildberries, the largest online retailer in Russia. Kyiv designated the company a legitimate military target because the platform sells military equipment. The strikes affected over 1 million square meters of warehouse space, including a facility in Yekaterinburg where a drone barrage started a fire on Friday.

The attacks caused an estimated $5 billion in inventory losses. This financial blow complicates the company's position, as it currently owes Russian banks more than $10 billion in loans. The Russian government previously viewed the retailer as a strategic asset used to bypass Western sanctions and compete with global companies like Amazon.com.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the Russian government is discussing potential state support or a bailout for the company. Officials are weighing these options to prevent a wider economic ripple effect resulting from the retailer's financial instability.