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A Meduza report published October 19 describes how Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian marketplace warehouses have disrupted work and business for employees and sellers. Attacks began on July 18, and IBC Global counted 49 attacks on 36 warehouse sites across companies through September 24; the full effects and future scale remain unclear.
Three months after Ukraine began striking Russian online marketplace warehouses, workers and sellers are describing disrupted deliveries, reduced work and damage to their livelihoods, according to a report published October 19 by Meduza. The first strikes hit Wildberries facilities on July 18; Ozon sites were targeted later, adding risks and uncertainty for people whose jobs and businesses depend on the companies’ logistics networks.
The independent journalists’ cooperative Bereg reported on the effects of the attacks, with Meduza publishing its account. The report says drones struck Wildberries logistics centers in Elektrostal, outside Moscow, and Kotovsk, in Tambov region, on July 18. Overnight on August 21–22, a drone attack hit an Ozon logistics center in Chapayevsk, Samara region. At the time of the report, Ukraine had attacked at least eight Ozon facilities.
IBC Global counted 49 attacks on 36 warehouse sites belonging to various companies in Russia between July 18 and September 24. That tally covers multiple companies and should not be read as a count of strikes exclusively on Wildberries and Ozon. The report says the attacks destroyed goods stored in warehouses and disrupted the livelihoods of workers and sellers, but it does not provide a consolidated estimate of financial losses, as described in a report on Russian marketplace sellers adapting to drone strikes.
A Wildberries employee identified by the pseudonym Olga told Bereg that her warehouse had not been hit, but drone attacks elsewhere had disrupted deliveries and left workers with less work. She said shifts continued during air-raid alerts and that her facility had no designated shelter. Staff who were afraid to remain at work after a siren were allowed to leave, according to her account. Olga said she had become frightened of going to work despite valuing the job.
How Strikes Reach Workers and Sellers
Wildberries and Ozon are major marketplaces, employers and logistics operators in Russia, with facilities across more than 20 regions. Disruption can affect several groups at once: warehouse staff relying on relatively high wages, sellers using the platforms to reach customers, and shoppers waiting for orders. The report illustrates that the effects are not limited to sites directly hit: Olga said her unstruck warehouse had less work because deliveries were disrupted elsewhere.
The employment stakes are substantial in regions where better-paid alternatives may be limited. Wildberries says the average monthly income for 61% of its warehouse specialists is 125,000 rubles; Ozon advertises warehouse pay of up to 126,000 rubles before taxes. These are company figures and advertised pay, not independently verified averages for all workers. The report notes that average salaries exceeded 100,000 rubles in only 25 of Russia’s 89 regions in 2026.
For sellers, damaged inventory or interruptions to storage and delivery can mean delayed orders and lost sales. The account describes harm to livelihoods but does not quantify how many sellers or employees have lost income, or how long the disruptions have lasted.
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From Wildberries to Ozon Sites
The first reported strikes on these marketplace facilities came on July 18, 2026, when drones hit Wildberries logistics centers in Elektrostal and Kotovsk. For about five weeks, the report says, attacks targeted Wildberries infrastructure. The overnight strike on Ozon’s Chapayevsk facility on August 21–22 marked the first attack on an Ozon warehouse cited in the account.
Both companies operate extensive logistics networks. Wildberries has more than 200 logistics facilities, including warehouses and sorting centers, while Ozon has more than 150, according to the report. The companies’ warehouse work is often attractive because of pay and flexible schedules, but employees face strict security procedures and restrictions on personal belongings inside operations areas.
Workers’ accounts also describe concerns that predate the attacks. Employees at facilities in Tver and Vladimir had complained about limits on bringing basic personal items into warehouses and insufficient toilet paper, according to the report. The strikes added physical danger and delivery disruption to an already tightly controlled workplace.
““Ours is small, and they attacked the big ones.””
— Olga
The Scale of Ongoing Disruption
The report does not establish the total value of destroyed goods, the full number of affected workers and sellers, or the overall financial impact on either marketplace. IBC Global’s figure counts attacks on 36 warehouse sites across various companies, while the source does not detail how that total breaks down by operator or distinguish every attack from damage to facilities and inventory.
It is also unclear how many employees have left their jobs, whether the companies have changed staffing or safety arrangements across their networks, and how quickly delivery schedules may recover. Olga’s account concerns one unstruck Wildberries warehouse; the report’s excerpt begins a second worker’s account but does not provide enough detail to generalize about conditions at all sites. The Ukrainian military’s specific operational rationale for the strikes is not set out in the supplied material.
Delivery Changes and Worker Safety
Workers interviewed by Bereg were waiting for the marketplaces to reorganize deliveries, but the report gives no timetable for changes or a forecast for when work levels might return to normal. The immediate developments to watch are whether disrupted routes and warehouse operations stabilize, and whether employees at facilities near alert zones receive clearer procedures or access to shelters.
Further reporting or company statements would be needed to establish the scale of losses, the status of damaged sites and any changes to employment or safety policies. The available account documents conditions roughly three months after the first strikes; it does not confirm whether attacks will continue at the same pace or how the companies will respond across their networks.
Key Questions
When did the strikes on marketplace warehouses begin?
The report says the first strikes on Wildberries facilities took place July 18, 2026, in Elektrostal and Kotovsk. The first Ozon warehouse attack cited occurred overnight on August 21–22 in Chapayevsk.
How many warehouse sites were attacked?
IBC Global counted 49 attacks on 36 warehouse sites belonging to various companies in Russia from July 18 through September 24. The figure is not limited to Wildberries and Ozon.
What effects did workers report?
Olga, a Wildberries employee whose warehouse had not been hit, said delivery disruption had left workers with less work. She also described fear about commuting and said shifts continued during air-raid alerts at her facility, which had no designated shelter.
How much damage has been confirmed?
The report says attacks destroyed goods and disrupted livelihoods, but it does not give a total loss estimate or a full count of affected workers and sellers. The overall financial impact remains unclear.
Source: rss
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