Wildberries looks for 100,000 sqm of warehouse space in Kazakhstan amid Ukrainian drone attacks

Russia's biggest e-commerce platform Wildberries is searching for about 100,000 square meters of warehouse space in Kazakhstan, a move aimed at shielding part of its logistics network from recent Ukrainian drone strikes on facilities in Russia, Kommersant reported on July 29 citing four commercial-real-estate sources. The company is reportedly ready to lease any available logistics premises in the country, though the total vacancy in Kazakhstan’s modern warehouse stock was just 5.8% at the end of 2025, according to data from NF Group.

Stanislav Akhmedzyanov, managing partner of IBC Global, told the newspaper that no single Kazakh warehouse complex currently offers the full 100,000 square meters, with roughly 130,000 square meters vacant nationwide as of late June 2026, spread across several cities. Rental rates average about $130 per square meter per year, similar to rates in Moscow and its region.

Wildberries is also evaluating expansion of its logistics footprint inside Russia, but some owners of vacant warehouses are hesitant to sign new leases because of fears of further drone attacks. The retailer noted that standard insurance policies do not cover damage from such strikes.

In a statement referenced by Kommersant, Wildberries said it continues to develop logistics infrastructure in the markets where it operates, citing an ongoing project for a logistics centre of more than 100,000 square meters in Almaty and another of over 160,000 square meters in Astana.

Ukrainian forces have carried out a series of long-range drone attacks since mid-July on Wildberries hubs in Moscow, Tambov, Ryazan, Leningrad, Sverdlovsk, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes were a response to Russia's attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and that the targeted hubs were involved in supplying sanctioned components used in drone production.