Ukraine's Wildberries Strikes and Their Impact on Russia's Economy

Aug 01, 2026

Ukraine has started hitting Russia's biggest online retailer, and it's bad news for Putin's promise to keep the war off ordinary Russians' doorsteps.

  • Ukrainian drones have burned down warehouses of Wildberries, Russia's version of Amazon, wiping out about 10% of its capacity and billions in goods.
  • These strikes reach into Moscow and St. Petersburg, wealthy cities Putin had worked hard to shield so residents could ignore the war.
  • Wildberries and rival Ozon are huge β€” together about 8.5% of Russia's economy and over 5% of its workers β€” so the damage spreads far beyond one company.
  • Small sellers are getting crushed: most goods weren't insured, Wildberries reclassified the attacks as "force majeure" to avoid paying, and one merchant who lost millions got about $100 in store credit.
  • Russia's economy was already weak β€” banks have cut growth forecasts near zero, fuel is being rationed, and richer Russians are buying passports and apartments abroad to escape.

Outlook: The strikes likely won't collapse Russia or force peace talks soon, but each burned warehouse raises the cost of continuing the war a little more.

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