After months of attacks on oil depots and refineries in Russia, Ukraine appears to have broadened its focus.
Last weekend, two of e-commerce giant Wildberries' facilities were hit, one east of Moscow and one in Kotovsk, about 400 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. The attacks caused massive fires. Eight people were killed, several were injured, and billions of dollars' worth of goods were destroyed.
Since then, additional warehouses have been hit, resulting in more deaths and injuries.
Ukraine says the attacks are intended to harm Russia's war effort and force Russia to negotiate, AFP reports. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the country has attacked "logistics hubs involved in supplying the Russian military with drone components, navigation equipment and other equipment."
Many are affected
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instead accuses Ukraine of attacking civilian targets, writes AP. There is no publicly confirmed information about any cooperation between Wildberries and the Russian military, but the Wildberries website offers goods that can be used for both military and civilian purposes.
There is also a wide selection of clothing, household items, cosmetics, toys and pharmacy products. It is also possible to book flight tickets and hotels.
Analysts estimate that the destroyed facilities accounted for at least 10 percent of Wildberries' total warehouse space. The attacks hit hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia that rely on sales through the platform.
Wealthy founder
Wildberries CEO Tatiana Kim founded the company in 2004. Since then, the company with the bright pink and purple logo has grown to account for around half of e-commerce in the vast country, according to analysts. Wildberries is often called Russia's equivalent of Amazon.
In April, Forbes Russia estimated Tatiana Kim's fortune at $8.1 billion, nearly 80 billion Swedish kronor. Last year, she stated that the company operated over 200 facilities, with plans for further expansion in 2026.
Recently, Wildberries changed its policy for sellers, disclaiming liability for goods damaged due to “force majeure,” which includes drone attacks. However, after the attacks, the company has promised to compensate sellers for damaged goods, writes the exiled Russian news site Meduza .
