‘Ukrainians, Have You No Empathy?’: Russians Cry on Camera as Ukraine Strikes More Wildberries Warehouses

Russian sellers broke down in tears on camera after new strikes hit Wildberries logistics centers near St. Petersburg on Friday, July 24, saying the fires had destroyed their merchandise, businesses and last sources of income.

“First, the Ukrainians killed my husband. Then the bank deceived me. Today, everything I had left burned in the warehouses. What else is there?” one woman said through tears in a video posted online.

The videos, posted on Russian social media following the latest attacks, captured a mix of shock, anger, and despair among small business owners who depend on Wildberries to store and distribute their merchandise.

Another seller, visibly distraught, said she had been left with nothing.

“That’s it. I’m officially broke,” she said, crying. “My goods burned in the warehouse. Thank you, Ukrainians.”

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In another emotional video, a business owner struggled to hold back tears while describing the destruction in St. Petersburg.

“There is no business anymore. St. Petersburg. Everything has been destroyed, the warehouses are gone. Why?” she said.

One mother appealed directly to customers for help, saying part of her merchandise had been destroyed and asking people to buy whatever remained.

“I’m an ordinary mother of two children. My goods burned at Wildberries,” she said tearfully. “Please help and buy the rest of my products before the Ukrainians burn the remaining warehouses.”

“Wildberries warehouses are burning in St. Petersburg. I’m already shaking from the news,” one Russian man said in a video. “I thought two or three warehouses would burn and the Ukrainians would stop, but no. I’ve already lost count.”

“I have never received so many hateful comments in my life,” another woman said in a video after reading responses on Threads. “Ukrainians, do you have no sense of empathy?”

Under international humanitarian law, a civilian facility may become a lawful military target if its use makes an effective contribution to military action and its destruction offers a definite military advantage.

Ukraine says the Wildberries hubs supplied Russian forces with drone components, navigation equipment, and other military or dual-use goods, potentially placing them within that definition.

A widening campaign against Wildberries logistics

The attacks have continued for several days, hitting major distribution centers from the Moscow and Tambov regions to Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, Stavropol region, and others.

Videos posted on Russian social media showed vast warehouses engulfed in flames and thick columns of smoke rising above the facilities.

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, Zelensky said the warehouses helped “[supply] the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment, and other military hardware.

“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,” he wrote in a social media update.