Ukraine targets Russian online retailer
Eight people died in Ukrainian drone attacks on two logistics centres belonging to Russian online retail giant Wildberries on Saturday when a large warehouse in Elektrostal, near Moscow, was completely destroyed by fire. Another strike on a warehouse complex belonging to the company on the outskirts of the Russian capital followed on Sunday night. The media debate the legitimacy of such attacks.
The aggressors must burn
In a Facebook post republished by NV, Blogger Serhii Misyura rejects claims that attacks on logistics centres used by Russian online retailers are immoral:
“Such ideas should be nipped in the bud. ... Russia is waging a war that specifically targets the Ukrainian economy. Between 2022 and 2026 the occupiers have destroyed or seriously damaged hundreds of civilian warehouses, sorting centres and logistics hubs belonging to leading Ukrainian businesses. The scale of the damage to civilian infrastructure is enormous. ... The Land of Shame must burn; retaliation should not be symmetrical but far stronger! This is the only approach that people there understand and remember.”
Wildberries doesn't just cater to civilians
Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, emphasises on Facebook that Russian online retailers are selling dual-use goods:
“Wildberries is selling military equipment on a large scale, including body armour and surveillance technology. … Russian online marketplaces, including Wildberries, are actively supplying drone components to the front line – in other words, for lethal weapons which are used to attack civilian targets in Ukraine. ... The attack on the logistics hubs in the Moscow metropolitan area and the Tambov region was most likely carried out in accordance with the 'laws and customs of war' [as laid down in international law]: the destruction of dual-use warehouses weakens the potential for Russian aggression.”
Ordinary citizens pay the price
In a Facebook post, opposition politician Andrey Pivovarov focuses on the people who bear the brunt of these attacks:
“The state, which is supposed to ensure security, is failing to take responsibility. Large corporations are unlikely to do so either: their losses are covered by insurance, and they can rely on subsidies to help them if necessary. The costs will most likely be borne by small businesses. Because it is they who lose their goods, who are driven to ruin and who are unable to claim compensation. Ultimately, the pattern is simple: the state starts a war, large corporations profit from it, and ordinary people pay the price.”