Ukraine Targets Wildberries Warehouses to Disrupt Russian Military Logistics

Beginning July 18, 2026, Volodymyr Zelenskyy authorized a systematic long-range drone campaign targeting the logistics network of Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. Ukraine struck approximately 20 to 23 facilities across Russia, including sites in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Tambov, and a record-distance hit in Yekaterinburg, over 2,000 kilometers from the border. Zelenskyy justified the strikes by claiming the warehouses serve as hubs for supplying the Russian military with sanctioned drone components and navigation equipment, describing the operations as long-range sanctions intended to bring the war home to Russian citizens.

The campaign resulted in at least 13 deaths and caused massive fires, destroying between 17% and 27% of the company's total warehousing capacity. Financial losses for third-party sellers are estimated between $3 billion and $6 billion. In response, Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim condemned the strikes as acts of terrorism and denied the company supplies the military. The Russian government, facing potential economic instability and inflationary shocks, discussed financial rescue packages including tax breaks and subsidized loans through state-controlled VTB Bank.

Russia retaliated with strikes on Ukrainian logistics centers, including Nova Poshta facilities in Odessa, and targeted energy infrastructure in eastern Ukraine. Throughout the period, the conflict saw continued attrition, with Russia reporting the interception of hundreds of Ukrainian drones while continuing missile and drone attacks across Ukrainian regions including Sumy and Mykolaiv.