Wildberries faces seller claims after Ukrainian drone attacks on its warehouses

Ukrainian forces began targeting Wildberries' logistics warehouses on July 18, and by July 29 drones had hit 11 sites, causing extensive fire damage and losses for sellers, some amounting to millions of rubles. The marketplace announced relief measures but began payouts only days after the first attacks, and the amounts paid were far below the reported losses.

According to a lawyer consulted by Meduza, Russian civil law holds a custodian responsible for the safekeeping of goods once they are accepted into its storage system, unless the loss is caused by force majeure. The lawyer noted that sellers can purchase insurance to mitigate risk, but insurance does not replace the marketplace’s legal obligation to compensate for losses unrelated to drone attacks. Wildberries’ seller agreement states that sellers already compensated by an insurer cannot claim the same loss from the marketplace.

Wildberries’ own insurance coverage applies only after a buyer orders the goods and does not protect items while they are stored in the warehouse. An updated seller agreement, effective July 7, classifies drone attacks as force majeure, releasing the marketplace from compensation obligations for goods stored after that date. Legal experts say this clause may be challenged in court, as force majeure must be proven to be extraordinary and unavoidable.

Some insurers, such as Sberbank’s Sberstrakhovanie, offer policies that cover drone-related damage, with coverage limits up to 120 million rubles. However, many standard policies now contain force-majeure clauses that allow insurers to deny claims for drone strikes. Determining the value of stored inventory is also difficult because stock levels constantly change and sellers often lack precise location data within the warehouses.

To reduce risk, experts advise sellers to avoid storing large quantities in Wildberries’ warehouses, use independent storage facilities, or diversify inventory across multiple locations. Inventory-management services recommend moving to a model where sellers handle storage and only engage the marketplace for transport and delivery.

Sellers whose goods were destroyed can still pursue compensation, but the process may be lengthy. They should document the condition of their inventory, download transaction records from the Wildberries dashboard, and retain all transfer, invoice, and receipt documents. Claims should be submitted to Wildberries first; if refused, sellers may need to seek court enforcement. Legal analysts point out that compensation may still be payable if the loss resulted from warehouse negligence, such as faulty fire-suppression systems, rather than the drone strike itself.

Russian authorities are discussing measures to protect marketplace sellers, including requiring platforms to disclose insurance terms and possibly creating a war-risk insurance fund. Proposals from the Federation Council, United Russia, and the New People party suggest amendments to the platform-economy law and the establishment of a state-backed reinsurance scheme, but no concrete legislation has been enacted yet.

Wildberries has offered storage discounts, low-interest loans, and repayment holidays for small and medium-size sellers, and it has begun limited compensation payments to affected entrepreneurs. Critics say the payouts are insufficient; examples cited include sellers receiving only a fraction of their reported losses. The Kremlin has said it is reviewing the situation and remains in talks with the marketplace, but no definitive state support has been announced.