Drone Strikes on Wildberries Warehouses in Russia Trigger Multimillion Losses for Central Asian Exporters

Drone strikes on logistics facilities belonging to Russian marketplace Wildberries that began on 18 July have led to substantial financial losses for exporters and small producers across Central Asia, according to reporting by Radio Azattyk. The attacks, which Moscow and Wildberries have labeled “terrorist” incidents, have destroyed inventory stored on Russian soil that belonged to vendors from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other countries in the region, leaving many merchants unable to account for or recover their goods.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has said the strikes targeted warehouses through which supplies for the war — including navigation equipment and drone components — were routed. There is no independent confirmation that the sites were formally integrated into the logistics of the Russian Ministry of Defence, but analysts and reporting note that some goods sold via Wildberries have been purchased for Russian servicemen. After the attacks, Wildberries removed product listings associated with the tag "Все для СВО" — the term used in Russia to describe the full-scale war against Ukraine.

Market research firm Data Insight has produced stark estimates of the economic fallout, placing potential losses for sellers between 445 and 508 billion rubles, with reconstruction of infrastructure estimated at 147–279 billion rubles. Nikolay Kulbaka, an analyst cited in the reporting, warned that for an individual small seller the destruction of a consignment at a warehouse can mean bankruptcy. He said the direct losses to Wildberries are comparable to its annual profit, though he did not expect that the company would collapse because of its links to ВТБ.

First-hand accounts from affected entrepreneurs underscore the scale of the damage. Kyrgyz businesswoman Gulnara Turdumamatova reported that about 15,000 of her items burned in warehouses in Elektrostal and Krasnodar, losses she estimated at between $57,000 and $68,000. An unnamed representative of an Uzbek textile company told reporters that particular firms had lost between $1 million and $30 million. Azamat Керимбек уулу, director of the association «Легпром», warned that supply chains have been severed and that numerous sewing workshops are now without work, a development with clear implications for employment and livelihoods in the sector.

The impact is especially acute given Central Asian exporters’ growing reliance on Wildberries. In Kyrgyzstan, sellers have been able to register directly on the platform since 2021, and Wildberries has become a principal channel for e-commerce. According to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy cited in the reporting, domestic online trade in 2025 reached $600 million, and cross-border operations expanded the total to about $1 billion. For Uzbekistan, Russia represents a key market for textile exports: sales through Wildberries in 2025 exceeded $1.5 billion.

Government responses in the region have begun to take shape. Uzbekistan’s authorities instructed Vice Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev to compile data on debts owed to exporters and to seek long-term solutions for the sector. Officials and business representatives have warned that without state support more than half of companies in some branches could become insolvent. Part of the problem is that many exporters operate without full insurance or maintain “grey” accounting practices; sellers say the lack of formal documentation makes it difficult to prove what goods were in warehouses and to claim compensation.

Wildberries owner Tatyana Kim described the warehouse attacks as "форс-мажором" and stated that losses are "по закону не подлежат возмещению." Some affected exporters have started coordinating via chats to compare losses and explore potential compensation routes, while officials in Tashkent have discussed strategies to diversify export channels, including moving onto platforms such as Amazon, Zalando, Shein and Temu. Meanwhile, Russian marketplaces are also adjusting logistics: Ozon has proposed that sellers place goods in warehouses in Kazakhstan as an alternative to Russian storage.

The episode highlights wider rights and accountability questions connected to conflict and commerce. Exporters from states not party to the war are exposed to the risks of military escalation while being tied to a single private platform and a single logistics network. At the same time, independent reporting faces obstacles: Роскомнадзор has attempted to block access to the Krym.Realii website that carried reporting on the attacks, an action the outlet says can be circumvented through mirrored sites or VPNs. For Central Asian producers, the immediate priorities are assessing losses, securing short-term liquidity and finding new sales channels, but many warn that without coordinated government support and better insurance mechanisms, the long-term damage to regional industry and jobs could be severe.