The CEO of Russia’s biggest online retailer alleges that the company has suffered significant financial losses due to Ukrainian drone attacks and is seeking compensation from Vladimir Putin’s administration.
Recent air strikes by Ukraine on the expansive warehouses of Wildberries, often likened to Russia’s version of Amazon, have resulted in dramatic scenes of massive smoke billowing from raging fires at the facilities.
Over a span of less than two weeks, Ukraine has targeted more than a dozen depots belonging to the retailer as part of Kyiv’s aerial campaign to disrupt Russia’s military operations, impact its economy, and make the repercussions of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine felt by the populace.
Tatiana Kim, the founder and CEO of Wildberries, released a video statement asserting that the company is not liable for the incurred losses, citing the attacks by Ukraine as an unforeseeable circumstance beyond their control.
In alignment with the official stance of the Russian government, Kim labeled the assaults on Wildberries as “terrorist acts,” attributing the resulting financial damages to losses in the billions. She advised affected sellers to await comprehensive support measures from the Russian authorities.
The initial strikes by Ukrainian drones targeted Wildberries sites in Elektrostal and the Tambov region, followed by additional attacks on facilities across various regions of Russia, including Crimea. The assaults have resulted in casualties and injuries.
Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not directly name Wildberries, he indicated that the targeted facilities were involved in supplying equipment and components to the Russian military.
The Kremlin responded by refuting these claims, asserting that Ukraine has been targeting civilian sites while Russia has been focusing its attacks on Ukrainian logistics and retail establishments.
A search on the Wildberries website revealed that the merchandise could serve both civilian and military purposes, including items such as protective gear, communication devices, and electronics labeled for military use.
Kim criticized the attacks as lacking logic or rationale, aiming to instill panic and shock among the Russian population, emphasizing that other online retailers also offered similar goods.
To date, there have been a total of 16 attacks on Wildberries facilities, including recent strikes in various regions such as Krasnodar, Stavropol, St. Petersburg, Leningrad, and Crimea.
Incidents this week included a warehouse fire in the Penza region, leading to injuries and evacuations, as well as an attack on a warehouse in Sarapul, with all staff safely evacuated.
Further attacks were reported on a logistics center in Volgograd and a depot in Zelenodolsk, Tatarstan, according to Russian news sources.