Ukraine has intensified its campaign against Russia’s wartime economy by targeting Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer often compared to Amazon. Recent drone strikes on Wildberries’ key logistics hubs, including a warehouse in Ryazan, caused fires and injuries, severely disrupting supply chains that support Russian military and commercial activities. This escalation marks a shift from Ukraine’s earlier focus on Russian energy infrastructure to directly undermining the country’s domestic business networks.

The attacks have prompted Russian authorities to consider financial support measures to stabilize Wildberries and mitigate broader economic fallout. State-controlled bank VTB is expected to be instrumental in this effort, while Sberbank has announced a loan restructuring program to protect smaller vendors from bankruptcy risks triggered by the strikes. These developments underscore growing concerns within Russia about the vulnerability of its business ecosystem amidst sustained military conflict and external sanctions.

Experts, including Natalya Kovaleva from Chatham House, highlight that Ukraine’s strategy aims to increase the economic cost of war on Russian businesses and civilians, hoping to fuel internal dissent that could pressure President Vladimir Putin to negotiate. Despite numerous hardships such as supply chain disruptions, tax hikes, and fuel shortages that Russian enterprises have endured, the new wave of attacks on critical commercial infrastructure signals a significant intensification of economic warfare.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s efforts coincide with increased international pressure on Russia, including potential expanded U.S. sanctions and broader geopolitical tensions linked to conflicts involving Iran. Analysts warn that Russia’s economy is under severe strain, with declining industrial output and stalled growth raising questions about its capacity to sustain the war effort. The converging conflicts amplify Moscow’s economic challenges, providing Kyiv and its allies with new leverage points in the protracted confrontation.