Ukraine's drone strikes on Wildberries warehouses cost Russia $5.7 billion in economic damage

Ukraine has been conducting near-daily drone strikes against Wildberries, Russia's largest e-commerce platform, in what experts describe as a deliberate economic warfare campaign designed to bring the cost of war home to Russian civilians.

Staggering economic toll

About 20 Wildberries logistics hubs have been targeted in intensive attacks over the past several weeks. The Moscow-based e-commerce consultancy Data Insight estimates the company has lost as much as 480 billion rubles worth of goods — approximately $5.7 billion or 4.9 billion euros — as well as about a third of its total warehouse space. At least nine Wildberries employees have been confirmed killed and scores injured.

On Friday, Ukraine struck a Wildberries warehouse in Tver, north of Moscow. The day before, it had set fire to another warehouse in Salavat, further east.

A strategic choke point

"I think Ukraine is going after a choke point," said Fabrice Pothier, CEO of the geopolitical consultancy Rasmussen Global, in an interview with DW. "Wildberries is, in a way, a choke point of Russian society" — a dominant platform that millions of Russians rely on for everyday purchases.

While Kyiv argues the retailer helps supply Russia's military, Moscow maintains it serves civilian purposes only. Either way, the attacks have placed an increased strain on Russia's already sanctions-squeezed economy.

Wildberries: Russia's Amazon

Wildberries controls approximately half of Russia's e-commerce market; its competitor Ozon holds around 30%. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the ensuing Western sanctions, major platforms including Amazon withdrew from Russia. Wildberries and Ozon saw their sales volumes skyrocket as a result — Wildberries' revenue grew sevenfold between 2021 and 2025.

Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has acknowledged that Ukraine's drone campaign is damaging Russia's economy. The systematic targeting of Wildberries represents a significant escalation in Ukraine's strategy of economic attrition.