Wildberries is the Russian equivalent of Amazon, an e-commerce giant with warehouses around the country.
Several of those warehouses were struck by Ukrainian drones earlier this week, and now there has been another wave of strikes on other Wildberries facilities.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
According to the BBC, “logistics hubs” owned by Wildberries in Krasnodar and Stavropol were struck, injuring ten people. This follows the earlier attacks on Tambov and Elektrostal over the weekend, which killed eight people and injured 62 more.
“Kyiv has claimed the warehouses have been used to supply components to make Russia’s drones and navigation equipment,” the BBC said.
This includes Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, claiming to the BBC that “the primary rationale for striking Wildberries’ warehouses is to disrupt Russian logistics and the supply of dual-use goods, critical electronics, sanctioned goods and the like to the Russian army and Russian arms manufacturers.”
“The collateral damage from such strikes could also have a serious impact on the Russian economy, as well as a psychological effect on Russian society and, likely, on continued support for the war,” Kuzan added.
Following the strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted video of the smoke rising from the warehouse and touted their success.
Volodymyr Zelensky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“Today, Ukraine’s long-range sanctions successfully struck important targets in Russia’s Krasnodar and Stavropol regions – logistics hubs involved in supplying the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment, and other gear – as well as another oil depot,” the Ukrainian leader said, using the term, “long-range sanctions,” that the Ukrainian side has been using as a euphemism for far-flung drone strikes.
“In the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, a tanker and four cargo ships from Russia’s shadow fleet were also hit. We thank all our warriors in Ukraine’s Defense Forces for these results. We are, quite justly, bringing the war back home – to Russia. Peace is needed, and Ukraine has presented the Russian side with every proposal. They must be forced to turn to diplomacy. Glory to Ukraine!”
View from the Retailer
Tatyana Kim, the owner of the company and one of Russia’s only female billionaires, reacted to the attack.
“There are no words to describe all the feelings and emotions caused by the attacks on ordinary people, on our employees, on us, who are simply doing our jobs,” the executive said on Telegram, as cited by the BBC. “But these situations demonstrate the most important thing: we must continue to do what we do for the benefit of people.”
According to a report by Meduza, following the initial warehouse attacks on Saturday, Wildberries offered discounts and loans to sellers, but did not compensate them for destroyed goods.
“Wildberries CEO Tatyana Kim reminded sellers that, under the terms of its contract, the company has not been obligated to compensate them for lost goods since the start of July. The marketplace, she said, is nevertheless ‘working on’ the issue of payouts and other financial support measures,” the report said.
“On July 19, Wildberries and its partners announced their first such measures. Here is how the company has decided to support sellers who have already voiced outrage over their financial losses.”
A New Commander-in-Chief in Ukraine
Also on Tuesday, Ukraine announced the appointment of Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander in chief of its armed forces, replacing Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. Zelensky had earlier removed Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister.
Zelensky formally announced the new command structure in a social media post, also announcing that Major General Ihor Skybiuk will serve as the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“The appointment of Gen. Drapatyi, 43, is likely to please the protesters who have flooded Ukraine’s streets in recent days, especially since Mr. Drapatyi had publicly sided with Mr. Fedorov,” the New York Times reported of Ukraine’s recent changing of the guard.
“Part of a younger generation of Ukrainian officers, General Drapatyi built a reputation as a frontline commander focused on tactical innovation, drone integration, and direct accountability — all areas dear to Mr. Fedorov’s agenda,” the newspaper said.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.