Wildberries Eyes Kazakhstan Warehouses After Ukrainian Drone Strikes Hit Russian Logistics Network

Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, is seeking to shift part of its logistics network to Kazakhstan after repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on its warehouse infrastructure inside Russia, according to Kommersant, citing four real estate market sources. The company is looking for up to 100,000 square meters (1.08 million square feet) of warehouse space, with one source saying Wildberries is prepared to lease virtually all available logistics capacity in Kazakhstan.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The move is reportedly aimed at protecting part of its operations from further Ukrainian drone attacks. Kommersant also reported that Wildberries is exploring additional warehouse expansion within Russia, but landlords are increasingly reluctant to lease facilities to the retailer because of the growing risk of Ukrainian drone strikes. The company has previously acknowledged that standard warehouse insurance policies do not cover damage caused by drone attacks. Wildberries said its logistics expansion is part of its long-term development strategy rather than an emergency relocation effort. The company noted it is already building a logistics center of more than 100,000 square meters (1.08 million square feet) in Almaty and another exceeding 160,000 square meters (1.72 million square feet) in Astana. The reported search comes amid a Ukrainian drone campaign targeting Russia’s military logistics infrastructure. Other Topics of Interest ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 28, 2026 War in Ukraine - Latest update, key takeaways and map from the Institute for the Study of War on July 28, 2026 On July 18, Ukrainian drones struck two Wildberries logistics centers in Russia’s Tambov region, and in four days, two others in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region and Nevinnomyssk. On July 24, Wildberries warehouses near St. Petersburg were struck, with more being hit in Yekaterinburg, approximately 1,738 kilometers (1,080 miles) from the Ukrainian border, a day later. On July 29, a major Wildberries logistics hub in the Ryazan region was targeted along with the local oil refinery. Often called “Russia’s Amazon,” Wildberries is the country’s largest online retailer, handling around 20 million orders every day. Together with e-commerce giant Ozon, it accounts for roughly 8.5% of Russia’s GDP and employs more than 5% of the country’s workforce. Ukraine says these facilities were not simply civilian warehouses. Kyiv claims they were used to store and move sanctioned electronics, navigation equipment and other components that can support Russia’s military production, including its drone industry. According to Data Insight analyst Sergei Semko, cited by Forbes, goods destroyed in warehouse fires in the Moscow and Tambov regions alone were worth an estimated 170 billion to 230 billion rubles ($2.1 billion to $2.9 billion) Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.