Ukraine hits more outlets of Russia's largest online marketplace to bring the war home

Key Points:

• Ukrainian drone strikes targeted Wildberries facilities across Russia and Crimea starting July 18, killing nine people and injuring dozens, hitting sites in Elektrostal, Tambov, Krasnodar, Stavropol, St. Petersburg, and more.
• Wildberries, founded in 2004 by Tatyana Kim, is Russia's largest online marketplace, accounting for 52% of all online orders and involving up to 800,000 sellers, including many small businesses reliant on its logistics network.
• Kyiv claims the targeted facilities supplied Russia's military, citing goods like body armor and radios marked for military use, while Russia denies these claims and accuses Ukraine of attacking civilian targets.
• The strikes have severely impacted small Russian businesses that store inventory in Wildberries warehouses, with estimated losses potentially reaching $3 billion, prompting Wildberries to offer financial support and reimbursements to affected sellers.
• Experts say the attacks aim to undermine Russian public morale by bringing the war home, increasing public awareness and discussion about the conflict, even though the overall economic damage to the online retail sector is considered limited.