Russia's richest woman built Amazon-like retail giant. Why is Ukraine attacking it?

Russia said it had intercepted or neutralised 822 Ukrainian drones across 17 regions in one of Kyiv's biggest aerial attacks of the war. One of the sites hit was a huge Wildberries warehouse in the Koledino industrial area.Kyiv says Wildberries is not simply delivering clothes, electronics and household goods. (Photo: Reuters)The war in Ukraine is no longer just a battle for territory. The two sides are increasingly taking the fight deep into each other's backyard to cripple their rival's economy. Ukraine is using drones to strike Russian oil facilities, industrial sites and logistics hubs, while Russia continues to unleash missiles and drones on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.The latest escalation has put a name at the epicentre of Ukraine's war campaign: Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer and a company controlled by the country's richest woman, billionaire Tatyana Kim.On Sunday, Russia said it had intercepted or neutralised 822 Ukrainian drones across 17 regions in one of Kyiv's biggest aerial attacks of the war. The Moscow region was among the main targets. One of the sites hit was a huge Wildberries warehouse in the Koledino industrial area, about 45 kilometres south of Moscow. The facility, covering around 250,000 square metres, is the company's largest warehouse by area.BREAKING: A massive fire has engulfed the entire Wildberries logistics hub in Koledino, Moscow Oblast, following tonight’s drone attack.The 250,000 m complex was oneof Wildberries’ two largest warehouses. The other, in Elektrostal, was destroyed in a strike in July, pic.twitter.com/Tt5So1seLa— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) August 16, 2026The attack was not an isolated incident. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Wildberries facilities in recent weeks, raising a bigger question: why has a retail company become such a prominent target in Ukraine's drone campaign? WHY KYIV IS TARGETING WILDBERRIESWildberries is no longer just a place where Russians shop for clothes and everyday goods. What started in 2004 as a small online business selling clothes from European catalogues has grown into a retail powerhouse, built by Tatyana Kim and her then-husband Vladislav Bakalchuk.Over the years, the company developed into Russia's answer to Amazon, with a sprawling network of warehouses and collection points across the country. Its importance grew even further after Western brands pulled out of Russia following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, leaving Wildberries to fill much of the gap. Wildberries warehouse in Moscow region on fire after Ukrainian drone attack. (Photo: Reuters) According to The New York Times, Wildberries now account for around 10 per cent of Russia's retail sales. Its logistics network includes about 40 major warehouses and nearly 200 smaller facilities, together covering millions of square metres. And that enormous footprint is exactly what has put Wildberries in Ukraine's crosshairs.Kyiv says Wildberries is not simply delivering clothes, electronics and household goods. Ukrainian officials accuse the platform of also facilitating the sale of military-related or dual-use equipment, including drone components, navigation equipment, body armour and other supplies that can potentially reach Russian forces.Wildberries and the Kremlin have rejected the accusation that the company supplies the Russian military. The company also prohibits the sale of weapons and armaments under its rules. However, a review by The NYT found listings for first-person-view drones, fibre-optic cables and other equipment that can have military applications.The strikes are meant to do more than destroy warehouses and the merchandise inside them.Kyiv has been trying to bring the reality of the war into the lives of ordinary Russians by targeting the infrastructure that keeps the economy moving and military supplies flowing. Wildberries has become a particularly visible part of that effort because of its enormous reach among ordinary Russians.Ukraine's Defence Ministry says seven of Wildberries' 10 largest logistics centres have now been disabled.According to The NYT, Wildberries has nearly 95,000 pickup points, while more than half of Russia's population uses the platform at least once a month. That makes an attack on its logistics network potentially more noticeable than a strike on a remote industrial facility. Ukrainians have said that the disruption could create pressure on Russian society by making the consequences of the war harder to ignore.But whether that strategy will actually affect Moscow's war effort remains disputed.BILLIONS IN GOODS AT RISKThe damage to Wildberries has already been substantial.Moscow-based e-commerce consultancy Data Insight estimated that the company had lost up to a third of its warehouse space and as much as 480 billion roubles worth of goods in the attacks, according to The NYT.The attacks have also affected sellers who depend on Wildberries to store and deliver their products. Some have lost large portions of their inventory when warehouses were struck.The disruption could also benefit Wildberries' competitors. Industry observers have reported signs that some sellers are moving towards Ozon, Russia's second-largest online marketplace, whose logistics network is more decentralised.KIM'S BIGGER FIGHTFor Kim, 50, the drone campaign is the latest crisis in an already turbulent business journey. The former English teacher built Wildberries into a multibillion-dollar empire and became Russia's richest woman. But Kim's business journey has also been overshadowed by a bitter and deeply personal dispute with Bakalchuk.Their marriage and business relationship deteriorated during a controversial 2024 merger involving Wildberries and a Russian outdoor advertising company. The dispute escalated dramatically when Bakalchuk and armed men arrived at a Wildberries office in Moscow, triggering a shootout that left two people dead and seven wounded.Kim and Bakalchuk later divorced.Now, with Ukrainian drones repeatedly hitting her company's facilities. Kim has described the strikes as "terrorist attacks" and said there was no justification for targeting Wildberries."There is no logic, common sense or rationality in the actions of the terrorists, nor can there be," she said. She has also accused Ukraine of trying to "apply pressure, destabilise and provoke panic and shock among a large number of people".Wildberries is now trying to reduce its vulnerability by decentralising its distribution network and restructuring its logistics system. The Russian government has also discussed support measures for the company's sellers, including tax relief and other assistance.Still, the bigger question remains unanswered: can Ukraine's attacks on Wildberries meaningfully disrupt Russia's war machine, or will they simply force one of the country's biggest retailers to rebuild its sprawling logistics network?For now, the answer is unclear.- EndsWith inputs from agenciesPublished By: Satyam SinghPublished On: Aug 16, 2026 23:00 IST