Four Warehouses Bombed in Succession, Dozens Injured or Killed, "Russian Version of Amazon" Targeted by Ukrainian Airstrikes

[Global Times Special Correspondent in Russia, Xiao Xinxin] In the past week, Ukraine has launched drone strikes inside Russia, targeting a rather unusual target—the warehouses of the Russian company Wildberries. This rarely attacked private enterprise is the largest online retailer in Russia, often referred to as the "Russian version of Amazon." According to observations by Global Times reporters, shopping on e-commerce platforms like Wildberries has become a part of daily life for many Russians. Some analysts believe that by attacking Russian companies represented by Wildberries, Ukraine is attempting to disrupt the normal operation of the Russian socio-economic system.

According to a report by TASS on the 22nd, in the early hours of that day, two logistics warehouses of Wildberries located in the Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai, along with surrounding facilities, were attacked by Ukrainian drones, resulting in over ten casualties. Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed the attack on social media on the 22nd, stating that these logistics hubs provide components for the production of Russian military drones and navigation equipment.

Previously, on the 18th, Ukrainian drones attacked two logistics warehouses of Wildberries in Moscow Oblast and Tambov Oblast, as well as other targets, causing dozens of casualties.

Within a week, four logistics warehouses have been attacked, prompting responses from Russian officials and Wildberries. The press secretary of the Russian president, Peskov, recently denied claims that the Wildberries logistics warehouses supply materials to the Russian military. He stated that Ukrainian authorities continue to target Russian civilian objectives, which reflects their "terrorist nature." According to TASS, Tatyana Khin, the founder of Wildberries and head of the RWB Group, which includes Wildberries and the outdoor advertising company Russ, stated on the 22nd that Ukraine's attacks on civilian infrastructure, civilians, and the company's employees are acts of "international terrorism."

Wildberries, targeted by Ukraine, was founded in 2004 and is now the largest domestic e-commerce platform in Russia. Wildberries currently has about 200 million users, covering Russia and CIS countries. Shopping through platforms like Wildberries has become a part of daily life for the vast majority of ordinary Russians, offering a wide range of products, with clothing, beauty products, and footwear being the most popular.

Considering that many regions in Russia are vast and sparsely populated, e-commerce platforms like Wildberries have fostered a "pick-up point priority" shopping culture in the Russian e-commerce market. Data shows that by the end of 2025, the number of Wildberries pick-up points across Russia will exceed 94,000. In towns across Russia, Wildberries and its main competitor, the Russian e-commerce platform Ozon, have pick-up points almost everywhere.

It is worth mentioning that Wildberries' pick-up points are not just simple collection lockers, but are uniformly equipped with Wildberries branding and fully functional service stations, where consumers can try on clothes, test electronic products, pick up items, return goods, and receive corresponding after-sales service support. Supporting the effective operation of Wildberries is the company's vast logistics infrastructure in Russia, which has established a multi-level logistics system of "central warehouses + city warehouses + pick-up points."

According to data from the RWB Group, last year the group's total merchandise transaction volume reached 6.1 trillion rubles (100 rubles is approximately 8.6 yuan). Additionally, the group opened 12 new logistics warehouses last year. The Russian version of Forbes reported that the RWB Group is estimated to be valued at about $12.6 billion in 2026. Tatyana Khin ranked 23rd on the 2026 list of Russia's 155 billionaires published by Forbes magazine in the U.S., with a net worth of $8.1 billion.

In the field of consumer economics in Russia, e-commerce platforms like Wildberries have performed remarkably well. According to reports from Reuters, the BBC, and other media, the goods and services sold by Wildberries, Ozon, and other Russian e-commerce platforms account for about 8.5% of Russia's GDP, providing job opportunities for approximately 4 million people, which is over 5% of the Russian labor force. The Russian government refers to these e-commerce platforms as the backbone of the "platform economy," connecting millions of consumers with sellers, couriers, warehouse workers, and pick-up point operators through online platforms.

Russian media mentioned that Ukraine's attack on Wildberries' logistics warehouses is expected to cause significant losses for the company. The Russian version of Forbes reported that the two Wildberries logistics warehouses attacked by Ukraine on the 22nd have a total area of about 270,000 square meters, accounting for about 5% of Wildberries' total logistics warehouse area. If the aforementioned warehouses were fully loaded with goods and most of the products were destroyed, the losses from the attack could reach 100 billion to 120 billion rubles. The Russian newspaper Kommersant calculated that the two warehouses attacked on the 18th had an area of over 350,000 square meters, accounting for about 7% of Wildberries' total logistics capacity, with repair costs expected to reach 20 billion to 35.8 billion rubles.

"Ukraine is currently bringing the flames of war closer to millions of ordinary Russians by attacking core enterprises of the Russian consumer economy represented by Wildberries," reported Reuters. Analysis from the Russian "Tsargrad" television website and others suggests that Ukraine's attacks on Russian civilian facilities may aim to disrupt and destroy the normal operation of the Russian socio-economic system, while also inciting panic and dissatisfaction among the populace.

Tatyana Khin stated that the families of the deceased will receive a consolation payment of 2 million rubles from the company, while those with serious injuries will receive 1 million rubles. Additionally, Wildberries will implement storage fee discounts for affected sellers and is developing other support mechanisms for sellers.