How Ukraine’s drone campaign on Wildberries forced a Russian central bank intervention

The scale of the drone campaign

Starting July 18, 2026, Ukraine launched a wave of drone strikes against Wildberries warehouses across Russia. In less than three weeks, around 20 sites were attacked . A Reuters review of satellite imagery showed at least 1.18 million square meters of warehouse space was affected .

Extent of damages and economic losses

Warehouse capacity loss: The strikes knocked out more than a quarter of Wildberries' total warehouse capacity . Damaged complexes spanned a combined 552,000 square meters, or about 10% of the company's logistics network, according to MSK1 reports .

Wildberries' direct losses: Market sources told The Bell that Wildberries' direct losses from the strikes may exceed 100 billion rubles. In a worst-case scenario, the company could remain unprofitable for years .

Seller losses: Forbes Russia estimated seller losses at 215–280 billion rubles ($2.4–3.1 billion) . Earlier estimates from the first days of the campaign put losses at 150–235 billion rubles ($1.9–3 billion) .

Human cost: At least nine people were killed in the warehouse attacks . On August 2 alone, Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least eight people across Russian regions . The strikes killed at least nine warehouse workers and destroyed billions of dollars worth of goods made, sold, and bought by ordinary Russians .

Wildberries' liability policy and seller insurance

Initial exclusion of liability: On July 7, 2026 — before the main campaign began — Wildberries updated its offer (terms of service) to explicitly exclude compensation for goods damaged by drone strikes, shelling, or explosions. This shifted all risk onto sellers SSS.

Introduction of insurance: On August 7, 2026, Wildberries introduced voluntary insurance for sellers covering damage or loss from terrorist attacks, sabotage, and drone strikes. Sellers can recover up to 50,000 rubles per item and 100,000 rubles per order SSS. This was widely seen as a damage-control move after the liability exclusion sparked outrage among small sellers.

Reaction of Russian publishers

Russian book publishers — both major and independent — began suspending sales on Wildberries as drone attacks continued. Kommersant reported at least seven such cases. Boomkniga, a well-known independent publisher, was among those halting sales, citing the risk of inventory destruction and the company's refusal to compensate for losses .

Broader strategic, political, and market implications

Strategic dimension: The strikes are part of Kyiv's aerial campaign aimed at undermining Russia's war economy, hurting its consumer sector, and making ordinary Russians feel the consequences of the invasion . Chatham House analysts raised the question of whether the attacks could force Putin toward negotiations .

Government bailout discussions: The Kremlin acknowledged it may have to prop up Wildberries. The Russian government explored support options with state-controlled bank VTB expected to play a central role . The Kremlin also denied that Wildberries warehouses handled military supplies .

Market shifts: Experts warned the attacks would drive up retail prices and push sellers to shift from e-commerce back to brick-and-mortar stores. Sellers began overhauling their fulfillment strategies .

Public morale: The strikes sparked an online furor among small-business owners who lost inventory they could not recoup, bringing the war viscerally closer to Russian consumers .

Parallel U.S. legislative actions: The available evidence does not contain details on specific U.S. legislative actions linked to the Wildberries strikes. This dimension could not be verified within the search budget and remains an area for further research.