‘An Enormous Shitstorm Is Coming’: Russians React to Ukraine’s Wildberries Strikes

Russian business owners are counting losses, questioning the Kremlin’s ability to protect critical infrastructure and, in some cases, calling for an end to the war after Ukrainian drones struck a series of warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer.

The attacks have continued for several days, hitting major distribution centers from the Moscow and Tambov regions to Krasnodar and the Stavropol region. Videos posted on Russian social media showed vast warehouses engulfed in flames and thick columns of smoke rising above the facilities.

For thousands of small sellers who store their merchandise at Wildberries logistics centers, the strikes have raised fears that years of work, and millions of rubles in stock, may have disappeared overnight.

“That’s it, guys. Many people will wake up bankrupt today because the warehouse in Krasnodar has burned down. It is still burning,” one Russian man said in a video posted online.

“Friends from Krasnodar say it is completely f***ed. What should we do? We don’t know,” he added before letting out a heavy sigh.

Another man struggled to hold back tears as he spoke about the losses suffered by entrepreneurs and the mounting human cost of the war Russia continues to officially describe as a “special military operation.”

“I already want this ‘special military operation’ to end,” he said. “So many people are dying, and so many entrepreneurs are suffering. We now need to file reports with the tax authorities. I don’t know what to say or what to do.”

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One warehouse worker said the videos from the aftermath had left him afraid to return to work.

“Honestly, it is completely f*ed up. I have watched so many videos – there are bodies lying there, everything is exploding and people are covered in blood,” he said. “For the second day now, I have been scared to go to the warehouse.”

“Right now, ‘anxiety’ is far too mild a word. It feels more like an enormous shitstorm is coming our way,” Sergei, an entrepreneur, said. “Of course, I expect more attacks very soon.”

But not all employees said the attacks had changed their attitude toward work. Olga, who works at a Wildberries warehouse in Shushary, near St. Petersburg, said she did not plan to stop reporting for her shifts.

“Death can catch up with you anywhere and in any way. It does not affect whether I go to work,” she said. “I come there specifically to work and, honestly, do not communicate with many people. But those I do speak with share the same opinion.”

The reactions expose a mix of anger, fear, resignation, and increasingly direct criticism of the Russian authorities. While some commenters accused Ukraine and NATO of deliberately attacking civilians, others asked why Russia’s air defenses had failed to protect warehouses deep inside the country.

“Have they found another weak spot in Russia? Now they will keep taking it out,” one commenter wrote.

“If they have already failed to protect oil refineries – and those generate revenue for the state budget – what can be said about ordinary mortals?” another wrote.

The commenter suggested that Russia begin building underground warehouses and data centers, before claiming without evidence that Western countries were jealous of Russian marketplaces and banking services.

“They will not stop,” the post said.

Another user responded more bluntly: “Are we sure we actually have nuclear weapons?”

Some pro-war commentators called for Russia to continue attacking Ukrainian logistics infrastructure, including the Nova Poshta delivery network.

“Apparently, the attacks on Nova Poshta hurt the Ukrainians badly. We need to keep pounding it,” one user wrote, using a derogatory Russian slur for Ukrainians.

Others repeated familiar Kremlin narratives that Western countries were attempting to turn the Russian public against President Vladimir Putin.

“NATO wants to put pressure on the Russian civilian population so that it attempts to carry out a revolution against Putin and bring a pro-Western government to power,” one comment said.

Another described the attacks as “barbarism” and said that striking civilian warehouses was unacceptable.

The strikes have also generated false or misleading claims in Russian social media channels.

“Attacks on Wildberries warehouses have already been officially recognized as a war crime by the UN,” one commenter claimed, adding that Ukraine was continuing “terrorism.”

A widening campaign against Wildberries logistics

The first major attacks in the latest campaign took place overnight on July 17-18.

Ukrainian drones struck Wildberries centers in Kotovsk, in Russia’s Tambov region, and Elektrostal, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Moscow. The warehouse in Elektrostal covered approximately 188,000 square meters (2,023,615 square feet) and was one of the company’s largest facilities by order-processing volume.

A massive fire tore through the complex and sent smoke into the sky that was reportedly visible from more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) away. Firefighters continued battling the blaze for more than a day.

Ukrainian drones also struck Wildberries logistics centers in Russia’s Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk early on Wednesday according to the marketplace’s founder, Tatyana Kim.

Kim said employees had been evacuated before the strikes, but several people were still injured.

“I wish you a speedy recovery, and we will definitely provide all the necessary assistance,” she said.

Following the strikes, in a post on social media, Zelensky wrote:

“Today, Ukraine’s long-range sanctions successfully hit important targets in the Krasnodar and Stavropol regions – logistics centers involved in supplying the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment, and other military hardware, as well as another oil depot.”