Russia-Ukraine War: The Wildberries Theory of Moscow's Defeat - Foreign Policy
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Ukraine is now targeting Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries — testing whether hitting everyday retail can erode the home-front support sustaining the war.
Attrition TheoryHome Front Morale TheoryEconomic WarfareStrategic Bombing Theory
Theory Briefing
- Ukraine has expanded its strike targets from oil refineries and cargo ships to Russian e-commerce infrastructure, including Wildberries.
- The theory holds that disrupting civilian economic life — not just military supply chains — may be a more direct path to undermining Russian war support.
- Wildberries is one of Russia's largest and most widely used online retailers, making it a symbol of ordinary economic normalcy for millions of Russians.
- The escalation in target selection raises the question of whether economic pain felt at home changes public tolerance for a prolonged war.