Russian Retail Giant Calls Drone Strikes “Terrorist Acts”

Attacks by Ukrainian drones on the Russian online retailer Wildberries amount to terrorist acts targeting civilians and affecting millions of people in Russia and other countries, the company's founder and CEO, Tatyana Kim, said on Friday.

Since 18 July, Ukraine has attacked more than a dozen Wildberries logistics and operational facilities in an effort to disrupt the company's operations. Wildberries, a linchpin of Russia's consumer economy, has been accused by Ukraine of helping supply the Russian military.

Responding to allegations that Wildberries sells goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, Kim said the company does not offer anything that is not also available on major global e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba.

She said the attacks targeted civilians and that their real purpose was “to exert pressure, destabilize the situation, and cause panic and shock among a large number of Russians”.

Kim also said the company was working with the Russian government to reduce the impact on sellers using its platform. According to Wildberries, it is rapidly reorganizing its logistics network and transferring goods between distribution centers to maintain delivery times and ensure smooth inventory turnover despite the disruption.

(Reuters, sak)