Total losses for Wildberries and its marketplace sellers due to Ukrainian drone strikes on the company's logistics centers over the past month could reach 600–800 billion rubles. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing DW, which in turn cites Russian Forbes and an estimate by Data Insight analyst Sergei Semko.
According to the expert's calculations, restoring damaged warehouses and other infrastructure could cost Wildberries 147–223 billion rubles. If full dismantling of facilities, waste removal, and land reclamation are required, costs could rise to 278.9 billion rubles.
Semko estimates marketplace sellers' losses at an additional 445–507.8 billion rubles.
Similar estimates were previously given by Margarita Evstigneeva, head of the Russian Association of Suppliers of Goods for Trade on Electronic Platforms. According to her, more than 400,000 Wildberries sellers were affected by the attacks, and their total losses, including lost profits, could amount to 600–700 billion rubles.
She also claims that some sellers lost up to 95% of their inventory. The cost of destroyed products is estimated at 200–300 billion rubles.
Since mid-July, Ukrainian drones have regularly attacked Wildberries logistics facilities in Russia. According to DW, citing an analysis of satellite images by Reuters, the company may have lost about 20% of its warehouse capacity.
More than 20 logistics centers were hit, including those in St. Petersburg, Tula, Elektrostal, Krasnodar, and Nevinnomyssk. At least 14 facilities are said to have been destroyed by fires.
Sources at The Bell previously estimated Wildberries' direct losses at 100–200 billion rubles. Meanwhile, the company's turnover reportedly fell by about a quarter due to the departure of some sellers who lost their goods.
On August 10, the Bank of Russia recommended that banks support small and medium-sized enterprises affected by drone attacks.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak also instructed the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the Federal Tax Service, together with the Central Bank and business representatives, to prepare support measures for entrepreneurs affected by strikes on Wildberries facilities.
Semko believes that authorities will find it difficult to quickly develop a mechanism that satisfies both sellers and the marketplace itself. According to his estimate, Wildberries holds about 45% of the Russian online trading market.
"The real question is more complex: is the government ready to participate in compensating sellers' losses and does it recognize its share of responsibility for the fact that these people's businesses were left without adequate protection," Semko said.