Ukraine is expanding its long-range strike campaign inside Russia, shifting its focus from traditional military targets to major logistics hubs. The latest targets were warehouses belonging to Russia's largest e-commerce platform, Wildberries, located in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk. These attacks followed earlier strikes on the company's logistics centers in Elektrostal and Kotovsk, marking the second wave of attacks against Wildberries infrastructure in recent days.

According to Russian authorities and the company, the latest strikes killed one person and injured several others, while large fires broke out at the warehouses. Earlier attacks on Wildberries facilities in the Moscow and Tambov regions reportedly resulted in the deaths of eight employees and disrupted operations at several distribution centers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the targeted Wildberries facilities were not solely civilian logistics centers but were also being used as part of Russia's military supply chain, allegedly storing drone components and other dual-use equipment. Russian officials and Wildberries have rejected these claims, insisting that the company operates exclusively as a commercial enterprise.

Wildberries is Russia's largest online marketplace, bringing together more than one million sellers and processing tens of millions of orders every day. In 2025, Russia's e-commerce market reached an estimated value of 11.5 trillion rubles, equivalent to roughly 8.5% of the country's GDP. As a result, attacks on the company's infrastructure extend well beyond the losses of a single business and have the potential to affect a significant share of Russia's domestic trade.

Analysts believe Ukraine is pursuing several objectives simultaneously. First, Kyiv seeks to disrupt supply chains that it claims support Russia's defense industry through the movement or storage of dual-use goods. Second, it aims to increase the economic costs of the war by damaging expensive commercial infrastructure. Third, the strikes demonstrate to the Russian public that the conflict is no longer confined to border regions but is increasingly affecting key economic centers deep inside the country.

For Russia, the consequences could extend far beyond the immediate physical damage. Some merchants have already been forced to reroute shipments to alternative warehouses, while businesses report delivery delays. According to market participants, approximately 10% of Wildberries' warehouse capacity has been affected, and restoring the most heavily damaged facilities could take considerable time.

The attacks are also creating new challenges for the insurance sector. Wildberries has stated that standard insurance policies do not cover damage caused by acts of war or terrorist attacks. The company has reportedly appealed to the Russian government for support measures, including tax relief, while business associations are calling for temporary assistance programs for affected sellers.

 

More broadly, the attacks illustrate the evolving nature of the war. Whereas Ukraine's long-range drones previously focused primarily on oil refineries, military airfields, ammunition depots, and energy infrastructure, attention is now increasingly shifting toward commercial facilities that play a strategic role in sustaining Russia's economy. Such a strategy has the potential to raise the overall cost of the war for Moscow not only through military expenditures but also by disrupting domestic logistics, increasing operating costs for businesses, and undermining confidence in the security of critical infrastructure.

At the same time, it is too early to conclude that these attacks will have a decisive impact on the Russian economy as a whole. Russia's e-commerce sector remains one of the country's largest economic segments, while major online retailers operate extensive logistics networks capable of partially offsetting the loss of individual facilities. However, if similar strikes become systematic and expand to other key logistics hubs, they could contribute to higher business costs, longer delivery times, and additional inflationary pressure on Russia's domestic market.

#ANALYSIS

#RUSSIA

23.07.2026 03:30