Putin Orders Government to Help Rebuild Warehouses Destroyed in Ukrainian Attacks

By Reuters Aug. 19, 2026 President Vladimir Putin. kremlin.ru President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian government on Wednesday to launch a program to rebuild commercial warehouses damaged or destroyed in Ukrainian drone attacks. Ukraine has carried out drone strikes against at least two dozen warehouses of Russia's top online retailer Wildberries since mid-July, causing explosions and fires that have destroyed a large share of the company's storage capacity. Putin, without naming Wildberries specifically, said a number of logistic sites needed state support to rebuild. "It is essential to ensure that the restoration of damaged facilities is carried out at a qualitatively new technological level," he said in televised comments to a conference of ministers and business leaders dedicated to the economy. Putin said Russia's economy was growing modestly despite Western sanctions and Ukrainian attacks on industrial and infrastructure facilities. "Of course, such attacks have not caused, and could not cause, critical consequences. However, they do inflict damage. This is obvious, and we fully understand and acknowledge it," the Kremlin leader said. Ukraine, whose own cities, ports and logistics hubs are also under attack, accuses Wildberries of supplying the Russian military with drone parts and other equipment. The company has denied the allegations and says strikes on its facilities amount to acts of terrorism. Read more about: Wildberries , Putin , Business Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Putin Urges Businesses to Back Russian Innovation as State Funding Shrinks Declining state funding and falling patent applications are hampering the Kremlin’s push for technological self-sufficiency. 3 Min read Kremlin Denies Putin Solicited War Contributions From Russian Billionaires An unidentified businessman was said to have proposed the idea during a private meeting, but the Russian president himself did not request that donations... 2 Min read Wildberries Accused of Hiring North Koreans at Moscow Region Warehouse The online retailer said it launched a pilot project to employ foreign laborers but did not address claims that it recently hired “hundreds” of North... 2 Min read Wildberries Subsidiary Files $400M Claim Against Bakalchuk Tatiana Kim previously claimed that her estranged husband Vladislav Bakalchuk and his team siphoned 37 billion rubles out of the company. 2 Min read