Ukraine's HUR claims cyberattack on Wildberries, Russian sellers complain of more disruption
on Google
Ukrainian cyber specialists hacked Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries, affecting customer services and payment processing, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) claimed on Aug. 15.
The operation was conducted by members of the Cyber Corps community on Aug. 10–11, according to HUR.
Despite what HUR described as the company's high level of digital protection, the cyberattack disrupted Wildberries' main remote customer-service channel, partially destabilized its payment infrastructure, and placed additional pressure on its contact centers.
HUR said users submitted large numbers of complaints, including reports that they were unable to complete financial transactions.
The extent of the disruption could not be verified by the Kyiv Independent, but Wildberries sellers did report delays in receiving payments in the days following HUR's operation.
Wildberries representatives blamed the delays on unspecified "technical problems," while the company extended the processing period for future payments from five to seven business days, The Moscow Times reported on Aug. 13, citing Russian outlet Vyorstka.
HUR said the cyberoperation amplified the effects of Ukrainian strikes against Wildberries warehouses, causing further losses for the company, which the agency accused of supporting Russian military logistics and helping finance Moscow's war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted the company's logistics infrastructure since mid-July. The campaign continued in August, with reported Ukrainian strikes against Wildberries facilities in Vladimir, Tula, Sverdlovsk, and Voronezh oblasts. A logistics hub in Voronezh Oblast was targeted overnight on Aug. 11, the second day of the reported cyberoperation.
Wildberries and the Kremlin have denied that the company supplies the Russian military. The marketplace, however, has offered dual-use and military-related products, including body armor, night-vision equipment, and fiber-optic cable that can be used for drones.
Wildberries is Russia's largest online retailer and handles more than 20 million orders per day through a platform used by over 1 million vendors.
