Ukraine’s Drone Strikes on Wildberries Sent Russia’s Military Gear Sales Plunging

Key Points:

• Since July 18, Ukrainian drones have targeted Wildberries’ warehouses, striking over 14 facilities and damaging more than a quarter of the company’s logistics network, causing significant drops in sales of military-related products.
• Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace, generates billions of rubles annually from military equipment sales, supplying products such as body armor, drones, and night vision devices, many of which directly support Russian military operations.
• The drone campaign has inflicted estimated losses of $2.4–4.8 billion on Wildberries, destroyed inventory, and disrupted a key supply chain for military goods, with orders in major military categories dropping by 22–39% shortly after the attacks began.
• Wildberries plays a critical role in Russia’s economy, accounting for roughly 10% of retail trade and contributing to nearly 3% of GDP, meaning the strikes also exacerbate inflation and economic instability amid Russia’s ongoing recession risks.
• Ukraine’s strategy targets vital economic bottlenecks like Wildberries to simultaneously weaken Russia’s war effort and apply systemic economic pressure, continuing a broader campaign that previously focused on Russian oil refining infrastructure.