The war in Ukraine has increasingly moved beyond territorial battles, with both sides striking deep inside each other’s territory in an effort to weaken the rival’s economy. Ukraine has been using drones to target Russian oil facilities, industrial locations and logistics centres, while Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities and key infrastructure with missiles and drones.
The latest escalation has brought Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, into the spotlight. The company is controlled by billionaire Tatyana Kim, Russia’s richest woman.
On Sunday, Russia said it had intercepted or neutralised 822 Ukrainian drones across 17 regions in one of the largest aerial attacks launched by Kyiv during the war. The Moscow region was among the key targets. A massive Wildberries warehouse in the Koledino industrial area, around 45 kilometres south of Moscow, was struck. Covering roughly 250,000 square metres, the facility is the company’s largest warehouse.
The incident was not the first attack on Wildberries. Ukrainian forces have targeted several of the retailer’s facilities in recent weeks, prompting questions over why a major e-commerce company has become a significant target in Kyiv’s drone campaign.
WHY KYIV IS TARGETING WILDBERRIES
Wildberries has evolved far beyond its origins as a small online clothing business. Founded in 2004 by Tatyana Kim and her then-husband Vladislav Bakalchuk, the company grew into one of Russia’s biggest retail platforms.
Over time, it developed an extensive network of warehouses and collection points across the country, becoming a major part of Russia’s retail ecosystem. Its role became even more prominent after numerous Western brands exited the Russian market following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to The New York Times, Wildberries now accounts for about 10 per cent of Russia’s retail sales. Its logistics infrastructure consists of around 40 major warehouses and nearly 200 smaller facilities, collectively covering millions of square metres. This extensive network has made the company an increasingly attractive target for Ukrainian forces.
Kyiv alleges that Wildberries is involved in more than the distribution of clothing, electronics and household products. Ukrainian officials have accused the platform of facilitating access to military-related and dual-use goods, including drone components, navigation equipment, body armour and other supplies that could potentially reach Russian forces.
Wildberries and the Kremlin have denied allegations that the retailer supplies the Russian military. The company’s rules also prohibit the sale of weapons and military equipment. However, a review by The New York Times identified listings for first-person-view drones, fibre-optic cables and other products with potential military uses.
The objective of the Ukrainian strikes extends beyond destroying warehouses and the goods stored inside them.
Kyiv has sought to make the effects of the war more tangible for ordinary Russians by attacking infrastructure that supports the economy and military supply chains. Wildberries has become a particularly prominent target because of its widespread use among Russian consumers.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry says seven of Wildberries’ 10 largest logistics centres have been disabled.
The New York Times reported that Wildberries has almost 95,000 pickup locations and that more than half of Russia’s population uses the platform at least once a month. As a result, disruptions to its logistics network could be more visible to the public than attacks on isolated industrial sites. Ukrainian officials have suggested that such disruption could increase pressure on Russian society by making the impact of the war more difficult to ignore.
However, there is disagreement over whether the strategy will have a significant effect on Moscow’s broader war effort.
BILLIONS IN GOODS AT RISK
The attacks have already caused considerable damage to Wildberries.
Data Insight, an e-commerce consultancy based in Moscow, estimated that the company had lost as much as one-third of its warehouse capacity and goods worth up to 480 billion roubles as a result of the attacks, according to The New York Times.
The strikes have also affected sellers who rely on Wildberries for storage and distribution. Some businesses have reportedly lost substantial portions of their inventory when warehouses were damaged.
The disruption could also strengthen Wildberries’ competitors. Industry observers have reported indications that some sellers are shifting towards Ozon, Russia’s second-largest online marketplace, which operates a more decentralised logistics network.
KIM’S BIGGER BATTLE
For 50-year-old Tatyana Kim, the drone attacks represent another major challenge in an already turbulent business career. The former English teacher built Wildberries into a multibillion-dollar company and became Russia’s richest woman.
Her business career, however, has also been marked by a bitter dispute with Bakalchuk. Their marriage and professional relationship deteriorated during a controversial 2024 merger between Wildberries and a Russian outdoor advertising company.
The dispute intensified when Bakalchuk and armed men arrived at a Wildberries office in Moscow. The incident resulted in a shootout that left two people dead and seven others injured.
Kim and Bakalchuk subsequently divorced.
With Ukrainian drones repeatedly striking Wildberries facilities, Kim has condemned the attacks as “terrorist attacks” and argued that there is no justification for targeting the retailer.
She said the actions of the attackers lacked logic, common sense and rationality, and accused Ukraine of attempting to exert pressure, create instability and generate panic and shock among large numbers of people.
Wildberries is now working to reduce its exposure by decentralising its distribution infrastructure and reorganising its logistics operations. The Russian government has also considered measures to assist sellers affected by the disruptions, including tax relief and other forms of support.
The central question, however, remains whether Ukraine’s attacks on Wildberries will significantly interfere with Russia’s war effort or simply force one of the country’s largest retailers to rebuild its extensive logistics network.
