New Drone Attack on Wildberries: Facilities in Penza and Udmurtia Targeted
New drone attacks have been added to those targeting Wildberries, Russia’s largest e-commerce platform. On the night of July 30, approximately 200 employees were evacuated and one person was injured due to a fire that broke out at the logistics center in the Penza region. The company announced that another facility in the city of Sarapul, in the Udmurt Republic, also caught fire following an attack and that employees were safely evacuated.
Attacks on Wildberries Facilities Continue
The latest attacks came after a Wildberries warehouse in the Ryazan region was targeted on July 29. While the facility in Ryazan was evacuated as part of security procedures, six people were reportedly hospitalized. Ukraine’s attacks on the company’s warehouses have continued in different regions of Russia since July 18.
Kyiv claims that Wildberries’ logistics network is being used to supply equipment to Russian forces. The Ukrainian side states that the operations aim to restrict the shipment of products and dual-use equipment that could be used for military purposes. The company, meanwhile, is suspending operations at the affected facilities and redirecting shipments to other logistics centers.
10 Percent of Wildberries’ Storage Capacity Affected
According to information provided by regional sources, at least seven Wildberries warehouses were damaged, and approximately 10 percent of the company’s total storage capacity was put out of operation. While the operations of tens of thousands of small businesses were affected, the company stated that it would need at least 30 days to assess the damage and begin payments to sellers. It was also announced that discounts would be applied to storage fees in order to support sellers.
The Russian government is considering loan, tax reduction, or subsidy options for Wildberries and sellers on the platform. While it was stated that state-controlled VTB could play a central role in possible financial support, the Kremlin announced that discussions were continuing but that no final decision had yet been made. Denys Shtilerman, co-founder of the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, claimed that the partnership between Wildberries and VTB was one of the reasons behind the attacks.
Low-Interest Loans Under Consideration for 1,500 Sellers
It was announced that approximately 1,500 sellers were affected by the fires at Wildberries warehouses struck in the Leningrad region on July 24. Leningrad Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said that the company was trying to provide support to affected businesses and that the regional administration could also offer low-interest loans to local manufacturers in need of capital.
Wildberries reported that it had paid a total of 40 million rubles to the families of those who lost their lives in the attacks and to those who were injured. The platform, which uses AI-powered product summaries, virtual try-on tools, and automated product content, is working to create alternative capacity within its physical distribution network.