Ukrainian drones hit Russian retailer Wildberries for 18th time, also strike Turkish cargo ship in Black Sea

Relentless campaign against Wildberries

Since 18 July, Ukrainian drones have struck Wildberries facilities at least 18 times, destroying over 1.5 million square metres of warehouse space, more than a quarter of the company's total, according to independent Russian outlet Verstka. The latest attack, in the Vladimir region about 190 km east of Moscow, set a logistics centre ablaze and injured two people, governor Alexander Avdeyev said. Wildberries confirmed the strike and evacuated staff. The company, often called Russia's Amazon, has seen nearly 10 of its 25 large logistics hubs hit, with at least four warehouses totalling 444,000 square metres now out of operation.

Economic toll and compensation chaos

Forbes Russia estimated the damage to sellers at nearly 280 billion rubles (more than €3 billion), affecting several hundred thousand entrepreneurs. At least eight people have died and dozens were injured in the attacks, according to Forbes. CEO Tatyana Kim said on 31 July that a support package had been agreed with the Russian government. Earlier, on 22 July, she promised affected sellers from the Elektrostal warehouse would receive payments "within 24 hours", prioritising the smallest businesses. Wildberries reported paying over 40 million rubles in direct compensation by 28 July, with a second round covering more than 97,000 small and medium enterprises. However, investigations by Agentstwo and Novaya Gazeta Europe found that many entrepreneurs received only a fraction of their losses, and most reported receiving nothing. Wildberries had amended its terms on 7 July to exclude liability for drone damage.

Why Wildberries?

Kyiv accuses the retailer of supplying goods for Russia's war effort, including drone components and protective vests. Gustav Gressel, a military expert, told Focus that only one competitor's warehouse had been hit in two months, while all other strikes targeted Wildberries.

“The suspicion is that Wildberries is relevant for at least parts of the arms industry or perhaps drone production, and that is why this company is being selected for these strikes.”

Vasily Astrov, a Russia economist at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, told Die Welt:

“The Ukraine is hitting a central nerve of the Russian economy.”

Online retail has become vital in Russia, with 45% of the population regularly shopping via marketplaces.

Black Sea shipping under fire

In a separate incident, a Turkish-owned, Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel, the Nadeschda, was attacked by drones about 20 nautical miles from the Russian port of Novorossiysk while en route to Samsun, Turkey. At least three sailors were seriously injured and a fire broke out on board; all 23 crew were rescued by the Russian navy and taken to Novorossiysk. Turkish media, citing the captain, reported that multiple Ukrainian drones struck the ship. The attack follows weeks of intensifying mutual strikes on Black Sea shipping. Russia's grain exporters' union warned that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian ships and ports could halt grain exports, potentially wiping 30–35 million tonnes of Russian wheat off the market and driving up global food prices.

Civilian casualties in the south

Ukrainian strikes also hit civilian areas in southern Russia and Crimea. In the resort town of Arkhipo-Osipovka, falling drone debris killed six people, including three minors, and injured about 40, Krasnodar governor Veniamin Kondratyev said. On the annexed Crimean peninsula, the death toll rose to four, according to Moscow-appointed governor Sergey Aksyonov. Videos purporting to show a drone crashing onto a crowded beach circulated online but could not be verified. Meanwhile, a Russian attack near Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine killed three people and set a petrol station and cars ablaze.