Kenneth Glad
Large distribution centres have been damaged in attacks across several Russian regions. Workers are deciding whether it is safe to return, while sellers try to establish what remains of their stock.
Thousands of merchants who stored goods at affected Wildberries centres may face serious losses, according to the Kyiv Post.
Fires at logistics sites in the Moscow, Tambov, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions have alarmed small businesses that rely on the online marketplace to store and distribute merchandise.
Sellers using Wildberries’ warehouse-based fulfilment services can keep substantial quantities of stock at individual centres. Damage to one facility can therefore mean lost inventory, interrupted orders and uncertainty over compensation.
One businessman said many merchants had effectively awakened to bankruptcy after the Krasnodar warehouse caught fire. Others raised concerns about tax filings and the future of businesses built over several years.
Workers reconsider the risks
A warehouse employee said videos he watched appeared to show explosions, bodies and injured people. The images had left him afraid to return to work for a second day.
An entrepreneur identified as Sergei said anxiety was no longer strong enough to describe the atmosphere and predicted that further attacks would follow.
Olga, who works at a Wildberries centre in Shushary near St Petersburg, said she would continue attending her shifts. In her view, danger was not confined to the workplace.
Online reactions ranged from accusations against Ukraine and NATO to criticism of Russia’s defenses. Some users asked why air-defense systems had failed to protect large logistics facilities deep inside the country.
Unsupported allegations also spread, including a claim that the United Nations had already declared the attacks a war crime.
Civilian sites or military hubs?
The first major strikes in the reported campaign hit the Wildberries facilities in Kotovsk and Elektrostal overnight on July 17 and 18. Later attacks were reported in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk.
The Elektrostal centre covered about 188,000 square metres and was described by Kyiv Post as one of the company’s largest order-processing sites. Firefighters reportedly fought the blaze for more than a day.
Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim said workers had been evacuated before the later attacks, although several people were injured. She promised assistance to those affected.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the targeted logistics centres supplied Russian forces with drone components, navigation equipment and other military materiel.
The warehouses supported civilian commerce and independent sellers. Ukraine, however, maintained that they also formed part of Russia’s military supply network.
Sources: Kyiv Post
