Ukrainian drone strikes on Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, have targeted several warehouses across Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea, killing nine people and injuring dozens. Kyiv says the attacks are part of a broader campaign to disrupt Russia’s war effort by damaging logistics networks, weakening the economy, and increasing public awareness of the costs of the invasion. Ukrainian officials claim the facilities were linked to military supply chains, while the Kremlin denies this and says civilian targets were attacked, reports the Associated Press.

Founded in 2004 by Tatyana Kim, Wildberries has grown into a major e-commerce platform similar to Amazon, handling more than half of Russia’s online orders and supporting hundreds of thousands of sellers. The strikes have caused significant disruption for small businesses whose goods were stored in damaged warehouses, with estimated losses potentially reaching billions of dollars. Wildberries has offered support measures to affected sellers, but the attacks add further pressure on Russian entrepreneurs already facing higher taxes, fuel problems, and regulatory challenges.

Beyond the immediate economic damage, analysts say the strikes are intended to affect Russian public morale by bringing the consequences of the war closer to everyday life. While the attacks are unlikely to significantly damage Russia’s overall economy, they have increased public discussion about the conflict and highlighted the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure linked to the country’s wartime economy.