Key facts
- Kremlin is monitoring Wildberries after Ukrainian drone attacks on its warehouses.
- Wildberries has stopped displaying military-related goods in response to searches related to the Ukraine invasion.
- Kyiv claims the targeted facilities were aimed at disrupting Russian military logistics.
- Dual-use items previously found for 'special military operation' searches are now hidden.
- Military goods remain accessible in other categories on the platform.
- The company's logistics centers have been impacted by drone strikes.
- Wildberries' banking arm was sanctioned by the EU in July.
- The e-commerce platform holds nearly 50% of Russia's online retail market.
Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, has begun hiding military-related goods from search results that directly reference the Russian invasion of Ukraine, following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on its warehouses. Kyiv has stated that the facilities were targeted to disrupt Russian army logistics. The company, which offers dual-use items like bulletproof vests and drone components, previously returned over 200,000 products for searches such as 'everything for the SVO' (special military operation). Now, these searches yield no suitable products, though military goods remain available in other categories like 'Sport'. The strikes, which began July 18 and have hit multiple logistics centers across Russia and occupied Crimea, have significantly impacted Wildberries, with potential damages costing billions. The company's banking arm was sanctioned by the EU in July for contributing to the Russian budget. Wildberries holds a dominant position, accounting for nearly 50% of Russia's online retail market. The Kremlin is monitoring the situation, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledging the difficulties faced by the company and affected businesses.