Ukrainian strikes knocked out a fifth of Wildberries warehouses
A series of Ukrainian strikes on Wildberries' logistical infrastructure has disabled more than 20% of the warehouse capacity of Russiaâs largest online marketplace. Analysis of satellite imagery shows that at least 1.18 million square meters of warehouse space have been damaged or destroyed.
Since mid-July, around 20 Wildberries logistics centers and warehouses in different regions of Russia have been hit. The scale of the damage has expanded significantly: on July 23, the Russian business daily Kommersant had estimated the damaged area at approximately 552,000 square meters, or about 10% of the companyâs logistical capacity.
The consequences of the strikes have affected not only the marketplace itself but also tens of thousands of entrepreneurs who stored goods at its facilities. The destruction of stocks and supply disruptions have caused a drop in delivery volumes at individual pickup points. One of Wildberries' partners in Moscow reported that the number of incoming parcels fell from roughly 400 to 150 per day, while sales for the month declined by about half.
Wildberries has begun providing financial support to affected sellers. The company announced the first voluntary compensations to more than 97,000 entrepreneurs who lost goods. It also introduced payment deferrals and additional discounts.
The financial impact extends to the credit market. According to available data, about 300 companies have already applied for debt restructuring. Russian authorities have discussed options to support Wildberries and businesses linked to the marketplace, including preferential loans and tax relief, but no large-scale unified package of direct compensations has been announced yet.
The Ukrainian side explains the strikes by arguing that Wildberries' infrastructure serves the interests of Russia's military economy. Items available on the platform include tactical equipment components and dual-use goods. Wildberries and the Kremlin deny that the company directly supplies the Russian army.
The series of strikes has become a distinct economic consequence of Ukraine's long-range campaign. While in late July approximately a tenth of Wildberries' warehouse infrastructure was said to be affected, the damaged or destroyed area is now estimated at more than one-fifth of the marketplaceâs total capacity.
Based on materials from: The Times of India, Reuters
