Ukrainian drones struck multiple warehouses belonging to the Russian online retailer Wildberries this week, causing fires and disrupting logistics operations [1].
These attacks target the intersection of commercial infrastructure and military supply chains. By damaging these hubs, Ukraine aims to degrade the logistical capacity used to support Russian military movements in the south.
The campaign began over the weekend of July 20-22, 2024 [1]. Initial reports indicate four warehouses were struck during the first wave of attacks [1]. On July 22, two additional warehouses were hit [2], extending the series of strikes against the company's infrastructure.
An overnight strike on July 23 resulted in the shutdown of another warehouse [3]. The facilities are located in Russia's southern regions, including Krasnodar, and sites within occupied Crimea [4, 2]. Reports from the region also noted blackouts across occupied Crimea following the strikes [4].
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks target logistics centres that supply the Russian army [5]. He said that these commercial sites serve a dual purpose in the conflict.
Wildberries leadership has contested the military nature of the sites. Tatyana Bakalchuk, CEO of Wildberries, said the company is a commercial entity and not a military target [6].
Despite these assertions, the strikes have forced the retailer to halt operations at at least one site [3]. The cumulative damage to the warehouses has reduced Russia's overall logistics capacity in the southern theater [1, 2].
“The attacks target logistics centres that supply the Russian army.”
The targeting of Wildberries signifies a shift toward attacking 'dual-use' commercial infrastructure. By hitting a major online retailer's logistics network, Ukraine is attempting to create friction in the Russian domestic supply chain that may indirectly hinder the movement of goods and materials to the front lines, regardless of whether the sites are officially military installations.
