Ukraine’s strike on Russian retail giant Wildberries’ warehouses may have cost sellers at least 150 billion rubles

Key Points:

• Ukraine attacked two Wildberries warehouses in Russia, killing eight and injuring over 80, with damage assessment expected to take at least a month; the warehouses accounted for 6.5% to 9% of Wildberries’ total warehouse space but will not severely disrupt operations.
• Rebuilding the damaged warehouses could cost between 22 billion and 36 billion rubles, a figure Wildberries can likely absorb given its reported net profit of 175 billion rubles in 2025; the company is already working to resume operations, particularly at the Kotovsk warehouse.
• Sellers’ inventory losses are estimated to be much higher, between 150 billion and 170 billion rubles, but Wildberries recently changed its contract terms to exempt itself from liability for force majeure events, including drone attacks, limiting sellers’ chances of full compensation.
• Legal experts suggest sellers who accepted the new contract terms have minimal chances of winning compensation claims, while those who did not may have better odds, though courts might still consider drone strikes as force majeure; sellers may only receive partial compensation if they prove Wildberries failed to protect their goods.
• Wildberries has offered non-monetary support such as discounts and loan assistance to affected sellers, but full reimbursement is unlikely; insurance coverage among sellers is low and rarely includes sabotage, and government intervention may be sought to resolve compensation disputes.