Putin breaks silence on Ukraine Wildberries attacks
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin addressed Ukraine's recent attacks on warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Moscow's answer to Amazon, during a meeting on Aug. 19, in which he both downplayed the issue and pushed for repairs.
The e-commerce company accounts for almost 50% of Russia's online retail market and has been targeted primarily because it sells dual-use items that can be used on the battlefield against Ukraine.
"Of course, there are no critical consequences from such attacks, there never have been, and there never can be," Putin said during a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 16 that it has put seven out of Wildberries' 10 largest logistics centers out of action, and its forces damaged another warehouse just outside Moscow overnight on Aug. 18.
The company has also been targeted with cyberattacks, and its banking arm was sanctioned by the EU in July for its financial contribution to Russia's state budget.
In the same meeting, Putin ordered his cabinet to adopt a program to restore the country's logistics and warehousing capacity.
"It is important to bear in mind that the restoration of damaged facilities must be carried out using technology of a qualitatively new standard," Putin said.
