Ukrainian forces used drones to strike two [1] warehouse facilities belonging to Wildberries in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 [1, 2].

The attacks signal a shift in Ukrainian strategy toward targeting commercial logistics hubs that support the Russian military's operational capabilities. By striking a major retailer, Ukraine aims to disrupt the procurement of dual-use technology and equipment essential for Russian drone warfare.

Fire broke out at the complex following the strikes. Tatyana Bakalchuk, the founder and CEO of Wildberries, said, "We have been hit again; the warehouses were damaged and a fire broke out" [1].

Ukrainian officials have justified the strikes by linking the retailer's commercial operations to military logistics. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "We are striking logistics hubs that supply the Russian army with drone components and navigation equipment" [4].

Wildberries is the largest online retailer in Russia. The company has allegedly become a conduit for the Russian military to acquire necessary hardware and logistics support. An analyst quoted in The Globe and Mail said, "Wildberries has become a wartime target because it is effectively a supply chain for Moscow’s military" [3].

St. Petersburg, located in the northwest of Russia, has seen an increase in drone activity as Ukraine seeks to pressure Russian industrial and logistics centers far from the front lines. The use of drones allows Ukraine to strike strategic targets with precision while minimizing the risk to its own personnel.

“We are striking logistics hubs that supply the Russian army with drone components and navigation equipment.”

The targeting of Wildberries demonstrates Ukraine's intent to degrade Russia's 'grey market' supply chains. By hitting a commercial entity that allegedly facilitates the movement of drone components, Ukraine is attempting to create a bottleneck in the Russian military's ability to replenish its unmanned aerial vehicle fleet, moving the conflict's economic pressure beyond traditional state-owned defense contractors.