Is Wildberries a legitimate military target?
For more than a year, Ukrainian drones have struck Russian oil refineries and military-industrial facilities with remarkable consistency. Yet nothing seems to have rattled ordinary Russians quite like drones hitting "Russian Amazon" — Wildberries, shattering the sanctuaries that housed their eagerly awaited online orders. Beginning on July 18, Ukrainian forces launched a sustained campaign…
Ukrainian drones have been targeting Russian military-industrial facilities and oil refineries for over a year, with a recent campaign focusing on the nation's online marketplace, Wildberries. The strikes began on July 18, with numerous attacks on logistics hubs across Russia, sending shockwaves through the country. Wildberries, Russia's largest marketplace, accounts for 52% of all online orders and sells goods that can be used at the front, including fiber-optic cables, drop systems, and body armor.
The strikes have destroyed or damaged nearly two-thirds of Wildberries' 26 main logistics hubs, with half of the total floor space reportedly affected. The impact of these strikes is disproportionate to the relatively small share of floor space destroyed, as the largest nodes hold the system together. The strikes have generated significant attention, with Russian online groups discussing the attacks more than all oil refinery strikes combined.
While traditional international law does not formally recognize "dual-use" targets, the legal and moral disputes surrounding the strikes arise from the potential impact on civilians. The attacks on Wildberries warehouses have also led to a financial effect, with the company's debt reaching 830 billion rubles, and the state being a potential source of support.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
