Ukraine Strikes Destroy Fifth of Wildberries Capacity
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- Ukrainian drones struck around 20 Wildberries warehouse sites across Russia since July 18, destroying at least 1.18 million square metres of storage space — more than a fifth of the company's total capacity, per a Reuters satellite imagery review.
- At least 13 people have been killed in the warehouse attacks, which Ukraine says are part of a campaign to "bring the war home" to ordinary Russians; Russia retaliated this week by killing at least 17 in strikes on warehouses in and around Kyiv.
- Wildberries, whose e-commerce platform handles goods and services worth 8.5% of Russia's economy, has seen deliveries collapse — franchise operator Vasily Klimov reported a drop to roughly 150 parcels daily from 400, and over 3,100 franchised pick-up points were listed for sale on Avito.
- Central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina said on July 24 the bank would monitor whether supply disruptions translate into higher inflation; economist Elina Ribakova warned the attacks could slow or halt rate cuts from Russia's current 14% level.
- Sberbank, Russia's largest lender, may raise loan-loss provisions after about 300 online retailers and vendors sought loan restructuring; a Kremlin source predicted a "wave of bankruptcies" requiring "hundreds of billions of roubles" in support.
- Wildberries has made initial compensation payments to more than 97,000 sellers who lost stock; fashion brand Finn Flare alone lost over 100 million roubles ($1.24 million) in one Elektrostal warehouse blaze.
Why it matters: With e-commerce platforms handling 8.5% of Russia's economy, the destruction of over a fifth of Wildberries' warehouse capacity could push inflation higher and force the central bank to slow rate cuts from 14%. The Kremlin source's warning of "hundreds of billions of roubles" in losses means Moscow may soon have to choose between bailing out civilian merchants and franchise operators — or absorbing a wave of bankruptcies among tens of thousands of small businesses with "absolutely nothing to do with the war."
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