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This is Svetlana Bronnikova from the independent media outlet 7x7. Russia is facing a new stage of its infrastructure crisis. Ukrainian drone strikes have shifted their focus from Wildberries to Ozon, hitting six major warehouse complexes in the Volga region and southern Russia over the course of three days. The escalating logistics war is not only costing businesses millions but also exposing a deeper social vulnerability: corporations are shifting the risks onto ordinary people, who, burdened by debt, are willing to put their lives at stake for a few thousand rubles.

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Three Days of Attacks: From the Volga Region to the North Caucasus

A series of strikes on Ozon facilities between August 22 and 24 hit key logistics hubs across several regions.

The first strike hit Ozon's largest hub in the Volga region, located in Chapayevsk, Samara Oblast, on August 22. Two-thirds of the building burned down, bringing operations to a complete halt. More than 500 people were evacuated, and four employees sustained injuries of varying severity. The following day, drone debris damaged a warehouse in a special economic zone in Orenburg, where businesses operate under preferential tax, customs, and administrative rules. Three hundred workers were evacuated from the building.

On the night of August 24, four more facilities came under attack: in the settlement of Enem near Krasnodar, Adygeisk, Nevinnomyssk, and outside Makhachkala. The strikes killed three teenagers in Krasnodar and injured seven other children.

The attacks immediately sent stocks tumbling: Ozon shares on the Moscow Exchange fell 27.5%, while shares in investment company AFK Sistema, which owns a 31.8% stake in the marketplace, also dropped sharply. Residents of southern cities have reported a persistent smell of smoke and burning plastic.

“Dual-Use Goods” and Corporate Self-Protection

The attacks on Ozon were preceded by a five-week campaign against Wildberries that affected facilities in 16 Russian regions and annexed Simferopol, with 77% of the targeted warehouse space damaged.

The official position of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is clear: marketplace logistics hubs are viewed as part of the Russian military supply chain because they store dual-use goods. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has explicitly stated that after 15 of Wildberries’ largest hubs were hit, Ozon was next.

In response to the threat of drone attacks, Ozon’s management moved to reduce the company’s own financial exposure.

As of July 12, Ozon officially no longer assumes liability for goods lost or damaged in drone attacks or shelling. Wildberries had previously introduced a similar policy. All related costs and insurance expenses were effectively shifted onto sellers and end consumers. At the same time, merchants cannot remove their goods from warehouses considered at risk because of high internal handling fees. The marketplace has also removed the geographic coordinates of 56 warehouses from its database.

Warehouses as a Covert Channel for Military Recruitment

At the same time, Russian authorities continue to use civilian infrastructure for military purposes. Online ads have begun appearing en masse seeking “security guards” for Ozon and Wildberries warehouses. Applicants are offered 3.1 million rubles to sign contracts to join “mobile fire groups.” According to independent journalists, these supposed warehouse security jobs are in fact a direct channel for recruiting civilians into contract service with the Russian military.

“Economy of Despair”: €120 per Shift Under Drone Attacks

The response of ordinary warehouse workers is particularly telling. Evacuations from burning facilities have been chaotic. In Nevinnomyssk, employees complained that they had to flee so hastily that they were left without their personal belongings or house keys, while in Adygeisk, workers discussed the destruction of the Enem warehouse while still on shift.

Some employees continued scanning goods even as air raid sirens sounded. “People have completely lost their minds. They're ready to risk their lives for an extra 400 rubles [€4],” one worker wrote indignantly.

To keep staff working at high-risk facilities, Ozon announced an emergency 75% increase in pay:

• The hourly rate rose to 1,001 rubles (€10).
• A 12-hour night shift now pays 12,013 rubles (€120).

The financial incentive proved stronger than the fear of drones. Burdened by loans and crushing debt, workers began signing up for night shifts en masse, writing in work chats: “I have credit card debt. It's about being able to cover my expenses while the warehouse is still standing”; “We're all going! You could say it's the warehouse's last day”; “I need the money. We work, brothers.”

The events surrounding Ozon starkly illustrate the current reality: while corporations protect their balance sheets at the expense of small businesses, Russians driven to financial desperation by crushing debt are becoming human shields at dual-use facilities.

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