Impact of Ukrainian Strikes on Wildberries and Russian Economy

Reports suggest trucks from Russian e-commerce firm Wildberries are removing company branding. This move follows Ukrainian drone strikes that target the company, comparable to Amazon in Russia. Despite Moscow’s denial, Kyiv claims Wildberries aids Russian military logistics by providing drone components and navigation equipment.

As the company grapples with the consequences of repeated attacks, social media footage shows branding being stripped from trucks. According to NEXTA, an Eastern European news outlet on X, this may prevent the easy identification of the warehouses being serviced.

The Moscow Times noted changes on Wildberries’ website, where military-related goods and terms linked to the ‘special military operation’ have been removed. This step seems aimed at reducing the company’s profile as a target.

“Ukraine’s continued strikes on Wildberries send two messages,” states Aurélien Colson, political science professor at ESSEC Business School. “First, Russians cannot watch the war from a distance. Second, civilian commerce and military logistics are intertwined in Russia’s war economy.”

Repeated strikes by Ukraine have significantly affected Wildberries, key to Russia’s economy, producing 8.5% of its GDP and employing over 5% of its workforce. An online tracker by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty noted 25 strikes on Wildberries, covering regions from St Petersburg to Krasnodar and Yekaterinburg. The first attack hit a logistics center in Kotovsk on July 18, with a major warehouse at Koledino industrial park targeted on August 16. Overall, these strikes have reduced Wildberries’ warehouse capacity by one-fifth, according to Reuters.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) maps indicate the seven most impactful strikes, emphasizing the pressure on Russia’s air defenses and infrastructure security. This reflects Ukraine’s strategy to bring war consequences back home to Russian society, explains Colson.

Colson further notes the supply chain impacts, as Russia’s military depends on Wildberries for dual-use items such as drone parts and protective equipment. The strikes disrupt not only consumer deliveries but also military logistics.

Vuk Vuksanović of LSE IDEAS points out Ukraine’s 40-day campaign aimed to push Moscow toward peace talks and convince Western support to continue. However, he notes limited outcomes, citing Russia’s capacity for escalatory actions evident in strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure. Contact Matthew Robinson and Cristina Diciu for additional information.