Ukraine Struggles to Counter Russian Attacks Amid Rising Casualties

WHO:

The Moscow Times - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is leading the campaign against Russian targets.

The Moscow Times - Tatyana Kim is the founder of Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace.

WHAT:

The Moscow Times - Ukrainian forces have conducted near-daily attacks on Wildberries warehouses, resulting in at least eight deaths and dozens of injuries.

The Moscow Times - Preliminary estimates indicate sellers' losses from the attacks amount to 280 billion rubles ($3.5 billion).

The Washington Post - Ukrainian forces did not shoot down any Russian missiles during a recent aerial bombardment of Kyiv and surrounding areas.

WHERE:

The Moscow Times - The attacks are targeting warehouses operated by Wildberries in Russia.

The Washington Post - The recent aerial bombardment occurred in Kyiv and the surrounding region.

WHEN:

The Moscow Times - The campaign against Russian targets is described as a 40-day initiative by Ukrainian President Zelensky.

The Moscow Times - The analytics firm Sensor Tower reported that in the second quarter of 2025, the Wildberries app had between 67.6 million and 69.5 million weekly active users.

WHY:

The Moscow Times - The attacks aim to weaken Russia’s economic capacity, bolster Ukrainian morale, generate international publicity, and provoke public discontent in Russia over the war and declining living standards.

The Washington Post - President Zelensky attributed the failure to intercept Russian missiles to a decline in anti-ballistic systems supplied by partners, including the United States.

HOW:

The Moscow Times - Wildberries amended its terms of service to limit or exclude liability for losses caused by drone attacks.

The Moscow Times - Ukrainian forces are targeting oil refineries and ports in addition to warehouses to disrupt Russian logistics.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 01:02 UTC)

Ukrainian President Zelensky is leading a campaign against Russian targets, with Ukrainian forces conducting near-daily attacks on Wildberries warehouses, resulting in at least eight deaths and significant financial losses estimated at 280 billion rubles, or about $3.5 billion. The attacks aim to weaken Russia's economic capacity and provoke public discontent over the war, while Zelensky noted that recent failures to intercept Russian missiles were due to a decline in anti-ballistic systems from international partners. In response to the ongoing threats, Wildberries has amended its terms of service to limit liability for losses caused by drone attacks, as Ukrainian forces also target oil refineries and ports to disrupt Russian logistics.