Drone Strikes on Wildberries: The Shockwaves Through Russia's E-Commerce Sector

Delivery Times Lengthen as Fulfillment Network Bottlenecks

Early expert assessments after the first strikes suggested average delivery times might not increase dramatically because Wildberries operates numerous regional hubs . However, as strikes continued and more facilities were knocked offline, disruptions mounted. Multiple warehouses were forced to halt operations or were completely destroyed, creating bottlenecks in the fulfillment network . By late July, sellers and customers reported significant delays and uncertainty about whether packages would arrive at all . The Guardian reported that tens of thousands of orders were cancelled as a direct result of the attacks .

Warehouse Capacity: At Least 10% of Logistics Infrastructure Disabled

The initial July 18 strikes on hubs in Elektrostal (Moscow region) and Kotovsk (Tambov region) knocked out an estimated 10–15% of Wildberries' total warehouse space . Those two facilities alone represented 6.5–9% of capacity . Subsequent waves of attacks — hitting sites in Krasnodar, Stavropol, Nevinnomyssk, St. Petersburg/Leningrad region, Penza, Udmurtia, and others — brought the total to roughly a dozen struck facilities, with analysts estimating at least 10% of the company's logistics infrastructure was disabled . The targeted sites together cover about 552,000 sq m (6 million sq ft) .

Operational Response: Liability Exemptions, Financial Support, and State Talks

Wildberries repeatedly halted operations at struck warehouses, evacuated workers, and battled fires . The company's founder Tatyana Kim confirmed multiple attacks and injuries among staff . In a controversial move, Wildberries reportedly exempted itself from liability for goods destroyed in the strikes, leaving sellers to absorb the losses . The Guardian reported that hundreds or thousands of Russian entrepreneurs saw their inventory — in some cases entire seasonal collections — burn . One fashion designer lost 12,000 items, about 45% of her company's total inventory . Wildberries offered voluntary financial support, but the payments fell far short of losses — one seller received about 23,000 rubles against 100,000 rubles in lost merchandise . An updated seller agreement that took effect on July 7 — 11 days before the first strike — classified drone strikes as force majeure, further limiting the company's liability . The Kremlin acknowledged the strikes were causing "losses" to businesses , and Bloomberg reported the attacks were "jolting" Russia's retail industry and stoking fears of higher inflation . The Russian government is exploring ways to support Wildberries and its sellers, with state-controlled lender VTB expected to play a central role, but no final decisions have been made .

Relocation to Kazakhstan: Logistics Diversification, Not Full Headquarters Move

Wildberries (via its parent company RWB Group) has begun actively searching for warehouse facilities in Kazakhstan as a direct response to the drone threat . The company is looking for approximately 100,000 square meters (1 million sq ft) of warehouse space and is reportedly willing to take virtually all available capacity in the country . One source told Kommersant that the company is prepared to lease all available logistics facilities in Kazakhstan, given the limited supply . The move is not a full headquarters relocation but rather a logistics diversification move — shifting part of the company's warehousing and fulfillment operations outside of Russia to shelter them from further drone attacks . Wildberries is already constructing a warehouse covering more than 100,000 sq m in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with a second facility in Astana in planning stages .

Kazakhstan's government confirmed it has not yet received a formal request from Wildberries, but stated it is ready to consider such proposals if they align with national interests and laws . The Ministry of Trade and Integration said that no official requests have been received, but emphasized that any such proposals would be considered with no exceptions or special conditions for individual market participants . Meanwhile, warehouse owners in Russia have become reluctant to lease facilities to Wildberries due to high risks .

Broader Implications for Russia's E-Commerce Sector

The sustained campaign has brought the war directly to ordinary Russian consumers and small business owners. Wildberries, which handles over 20 million orders per day and generated annual revenue exceeding 6 trillion rubles in 2025 — roughly 3% of Russia's GDP — is a linchpin of the consumer economy. The attacks have forced sellers to overhaul fulfillment strategies, with many shifting to their own warehouses or reducing reliance on Wildberries' fulfillment service . Some experts predict a partial return to brick-and-mortar retail as e-commerce reliability declines . Early estimates from Forbes Russia suggest that losses from the first day of the strikes alone amounted to between 150 and 235 billion rubles ($1.9 to $3 billion) . For Russian consumers, the most visible impact has been higher prices and longer delivery times — a direct consequence of a campaign designed to disrupt the economic infrastructure that supports Russia's war effort.