Ukraine strike on Wildberries warehouses could cost sellers up to 150 billion rubles

Ukraine launched attacks on two Wildberries warehouses on the night of July 18, targeting a 250,000-square-metre facility near Moscow and a 108,000-square-metre centre in the Tambov region. The strikes killed eight people and injured more than 80. Damage to the structures and stored goods has not been fully quantified, and assessments are expected to take at least a month.

Analysts cited by Russian business publications estimate reconstruction costs of 60,000-100,000 rubles per square metre, putting the total at 22-36 billion rubles. Wildberries reported a net profit of 175 billion rubles for 2025, suggesting the firm could absorb the loss even without insurance, though the extent of coverage remains unclear.

The Kotovsk warehouse is slated to resume operations on July 23, five days after the attack, while the status of the Elektrostal site is still uncertain.

Separate estimates indicate that sellers’ unsold inventory stored in the two warehouses could be worth 150-235 billion rubles, with a more cautious range of 150-170 billion rubles. On July 7, Wildberries amended its seller contracts to exclude liability for “force majeure” events, a category that now includes drone attacks. Legal experts say sellers who accepted the new terms face limited prospects in court, while those who did not or whose goods arrived before the amendment may have a better, though not guaranteed, chance of partial compensation.

Wildberries has offered non-monetary support to affected sellers, such as fee waivers, loan assistance and discounts, but has not pledged full reimbursement. Insurance coverage among sellers is low; only a small fraction hold policies that include sabotage protection. Industry representatives expect negotiations to begin after inventory assessments, and some officials have suggested possible government involvement to resolve compensation issues.