HUR Cyber Specialists Attack Wildberries Digital Infrastructure
Cyber specialists from Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) attacked the digital infrastructure of Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries on Aug. 10-11. The cyberattack caused widespread disruptions to the company’s payment infrastructure and customer service channels. The incident follows a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on Wildberries warehouses, which analysts estimate have destroyed…
On August 10-11, cyber specialists from Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) targeted the digital infrastructure of the Russian e-commerce company Wildberries, causing widespread disruption, according to a report from the agency. The operation, carried out by HUR's Cyber Corps group, resulted in significant disruptions despite the company's security measures.
The attack compromised the company's primary remote customer service channel and partially crippled its payment infrastructure, leading to numerous complaints from users unable to finalize financial transactions. HUR highlighted that the cyber operation adds to the damage inflicted by Ukrainian defense forces' recent kinetic attacks on Wildberries warehouses.
The agency emphasized that the cyberattack is part of an effort to disrupt an entity that supports the Russian economy and its war against Ukraine. This attack follows a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on Wildberries' logistics infrastructure since mid-July, resulting in at least nine worker fatalities and the destruction of about one-third of the company's warehouse space.
The total financial loss is estimated to be around 480 billion rubles ($5.7 billion), comparable to the annual budgets of several wealthier Russian regions and larger than those of several poorer regions. The destruction has impacted tens of thousands of businesses reliant on Wildberries' platform. Despite the Russian government reportedly preparing support measures like tax breaks and loan holidays, there are concerns about potential bankruptcies among sellers, as direct compensation for destroyed goods is not currently planned.
Ukraine maintains that Wildberries is a legitimate military target due to the platform's sales of goods used by the Russian armed forces, although the company denies this claim. Wildberries accounts for roughly 10% of Russia's retail sales, making it a significant component of the country's consumer economy. Following the attacks, SberIndex reported a sharp decline in spending on non-food goods through online marketplaces in recent weeks.
Wildberries' co-founder, Tatyana Kim, stated that the strikes aim to destabilize the company and create panic among the Russian population.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
