Russia's big three marketplaces now write drone strikes into the fine print
Ukraine's long-range drone campaign has moved from refineries into e-commerce logistics, and Wildberries, Ozon and Yandex Market have all rewritten seller contracts to push the loss onto merchants.
Ukraine's long-range drone campaign has moved from refineries into e-commerce logistics, and Wildberries, Ozon and Yandex Market have all rewritten seller contracts to push the loss onto merchants.
Ukrainian drones struck the NS-Oil refinery at Novospasskoye in Ulyanovsk Oblast overnight on July 23, about 650 kilometers from the border, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing Russian Telegram channels. Regional governor Alexey Russkikh confirmed a drone attack on a fuel and energy facility. The plant runs up to 600,000 tonnes of crude a year.
The same wave hit the Subkhankulovo pumping station at Tuymazy in Bashkortostan, a Transneft-Ural node operating four pipeline sections of more than 600 kilometers combined, The New Voice of Ukraine reported, citing the OSINT channel Exilenova+. In Voronezh, a logistics hub serving Wildberries burned for the second straight night.
That makes four sets of strikes on Russia's largest online retailer in under a week. Drones hit Wildberries warehouses at Elektrostal and Kotovsk on July 18, killing eight and injuring more than 80, Meduza reported. Russian analysts put total damage at up to 100 billion rubles, roughly $1.3 billion, The Moscow Times said, citing Kommersant. Zelensky said the sites held navigation equipment and components for drone production, per the Kyiv Independent. Drone forces commander Robert Brovdi called the operation a strike on "the illusion of a comfortable peacetime existence."
The contracts moved faster than the damage assessments. Wildberries rewrote its vendor agreement effective July 7, eleven days before the Elektrostal fire, dropping its liability for goods lost to drone and missile strikes, The Moscow Times reported. Ozon amended its seller terms on July 1. Yandex Market followed two days after the July 18 attack, exempting itself from losses caused by drones, ammunition or their fragments, according to the exiled outlet Vyorstka.
The battlefield and the startup story — free in your inbox every week. No paywall.
Subscribe Free →Merchants carry it. Data Insight estimates sellers' destroyed inventory at 150 billion to 235 billion rubles, Meduza reported, against Wildberries net profit of 175 billion rubles for 2025. Only 5% to 7% of the platform's sellers hold insurance at all, and 10% to 20% of those policies cover sabotage, insurer Polis.online told Meduza.
Voronezh's Wildberries warehouses stopped operating at night on July 22. Ukraine's deep-strike fleet has turned a drone attack into a standing clause in Russian retail paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Ukrainian drones hit overnight on July 23?
The Kyiv Independent, citing Russian Telegram channels, reported strikes on the NS-Oil refinery at Novospasskoye in Ulyanovsk Oblast and an oil pumping station in Bashkortostan, plus explosions near a Wildberries logistics hub in Voronezh. The New Voice of Ukraine identified the Bashkortostan target as the Subkhankulovo station in Transneft's Ural pipeline system.
Why is Ukraine striking a retail company?
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the warehouses stored navigation equipment and components for drone production used to supply the Russian army, according to the Kyiv Independent. The Moscow Times noted there is no publicly confirmed evidence that Wildberries cooperates with Russia's Defense Ministry, though dual-use items including body armor and fiber-optic cable used in drones were listed on its platform.
How much damage did the July 18 strikes cause?
The Moscow Times, citing Kommersant, reported Russian analysts estimated total economic damage at up to 100 billion rubles (about $1.3 billion). Meduza reported eight people killed and more than 80 injured; the Kyiv Independent cited Russian officials reporting nine killed and over 60 injured.
What did the marketplaces change in their seller contracts?
According to The Moscow Times, Wildberries updated its vendor agreement effective July 7 to remove liability for goods lost to missile strikes, drone attacks and civil unrest. Ozon amended its agreement on July 1, and Yandex Market revised its terms two days after the July 18 strikes to exclude liability for damage from weapons, military equipment, drones, ammunition or their fragments.
Can sellers recover their losses?
Meduza, citing Forbes Russia, reported that sellers have minimal odds in court if they accepted the new terms, and that Wildberries has offered storage-fee discounts and loan help rather than direct compensation. Insurer Polis.online estimated only 5% to 7% of Wildberries sellers hold policies, of which 10% to 20% include sabotage cover.
How deep into Russia are these strikes reaching?
The Kyiv Independent put the NS-Oil refinery at roughly 650 kilometers (400 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border. The New Voice of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and logistics in the first half of 2026 cost about 40% of Russia's oil refining capacity, a figure it attributed to its own reporting.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.