Ukraine escalates drone strikes on Russian retailer Wildberries logistics centers

Ukrainian defense forces have stepped up drone strikes on logistics facilities belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, hitting five sites between Saturday and Wednesday. The attacks follow a series of strikes on Russian oil depots and refineries and are intended to hamper Moscow's supply chains and increase financial strain on businesses and the state budget.

Wildberries, founded in 2004 and employing about 48,000 people, is often compared to Amazon in the United States. The company’s owner, Tatyana Kim, said logistics hubs in the Krasnodar and Stavropol regions were struck overnight, resulting in one death and several injuries. Earlier attacks on the retailer’s warehouses in central Russia killed eight people, according to Russian authorities.

"Ukraine has found a new point of pressure to exert against Russia," said independent foreign-policy analyst Jimmy Rushton via social media.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the targeted hubs supplied Russian forces with drone components and other military equipment. Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Kyiv-based Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, told CNBC that the strikes aim to weaken both the Russian economy and its military-industrial complex.

"The destruction of this logistics infrastructure deals a significant blow to Russia's economy and, consequently, to its state budget, which funds the armed aggression against Ukraine," Kuzan said.

Kuzan cited data indicating Wildberries' marketplace contributes roughly 3% of Russia's gross domestic product and estimated the company's losses at about $2.3 billion, a sum exceeding the combined annual budgets of 53 Russian regions. He warned that the tactic is likely to continue, allowing Ukraine to inflict substantial economic damage with relatively limited resources.