Russian Central Bank Urges Lenders to Support Businesses Impacted by Wildberries Warehouse Attacks

Aug. 10, 2026 A Wildberries warehouse in the city of Elektrostal that burned down as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack. REUTERS / Stringer Russia's Central Bank has advised creditors to offer loan relief to businesses impacted by ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes against Wildberries logistics facilities, according to a letter published by the regulator on Monday. Ukraine has attacked almost two dozen Wildberries logistics centers since mid-July, accusing the company of supplying the Russian military with drone parts and other equipment. The strikes have wiped out a significant portion of the e-commerce giant's storage capacity and cost third-party merchants hundreds of billions of rubles, according to Forbes Russia. "Small and medium-sized enterprises that have suffered as a result of terrorist attacks on logistics centers, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, retail, offices and other premises will be able to apply to have their loans restructured," the regulator said in its letter. Major Russian lenders, including Sberbank and VTB, as well as Wildberries Bank, have announced their readiness to offer restructuring programs and debt relief to affected vendors and partners. Sergei Melamed, a senior executive at Sberbank, confirmed that the bank has already received around 2,000 applications for loan restructuring from business owners impacted by the disruptions. Reuters contributed reporting. Read more about: Wildberries , Central Bank , Banks , 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 Wildberries Stops Compensating Sellers for Products Damaged in Airstrikes Starting Tuesday, July 7, Wildberries will not be required to compensate sellers under force majeure circumstances resulting from artillery, drone and... 1 Min read Credit Bank of Moscow Posts Rare Loss as Bad Loans Surge Most of the losses were recorded in December, when the bank posted an 8.2-billion-ruble ($106.6 million) loss. 2 Min read News Analysis How Customer Discounts Ignited a Battle Between Russia’s Banks and E-Commerce Giants Russia’s top e-commerce platforms offer discounts to customers who use the platforms’ in-house banks. Traditional lenders are now crying foul. 6 Min read Russian Banks More Stable and Transparent Than Ever, Central Bank Chief Says Six years and $80 billion into a mammoth clean-up drive, Elvira Nabiullina hails the strength of Russia’s financial sector.