Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine of a wider economic battle.
His comments arrived after Kyiv’s drone attacks on Russian infrastructure, including oil refineries, warehouses and the country’s biggest online retailer, Wildberries.
Putin warned Ukraine of retaliation after economic strikes
As per Reuters, Putin said Russia would respond after what he described as Ukrainian efforts to damage his country’s economy.
“The Kyiv regime set out to damage our economy. What did it do? It opened this Pandora’s box itself. Well then, expect a response targeting your most sensitive economic sectors,” Putin told a Russian state television journalist.
Russia has already retaliated with attacks on Ukrainian economic infrastructure, including facilities linked to grain exports through the Black Sea.
He addressed concerns about the impact of the strikes on Ukraine’s agricultural exports. “We do face challenges regarding the shipment of our goods, but we will resolve these issues. Consequently, there will be no shortage on the global market,” Putin said.
He also asserted that Moscow is still open to peace talks but would only consider negotiations based on what he called the “realities on the ground.” Putin will not entertain what he described as “exotic” proposals that Ukraine had presented earlier.
How Ukraine’s attacks targeted the Russian economy
AP News detailed a month-long Ukrainian drone campaign against Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, think of it as the country’s version of Amazon.
Unlike other Ukrainian strikes that have focused on oil refineries, maritime hubs and arms plants, these attacks targeted huge e-commerce warehouses.
The attacks began on July 18 and targeted about 20 Wildberries facilities. Seven of the company’s 10 largest logistics centers had been knocked out of operation, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
It first started in the Moscow and St. Petersburg areas and reached as far as Yekaterinburg, more than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine’s border.
Estimates suggested that as much as 20% of Wildberries’ total warehouse space had been destroyed, with potential losses reaching $6 billion.
Ukraine has argued that the facilities have military relevance because they reportedly sell dual-use goods, including drone components, flak jackets and thermal weapon sights.
The country’s officials claimed the attacks were intended to disrupt military supplies and put pressure on the Russian economy.
Ukraine’s move has disrupted sellers, damaged supply chains and threatened businesses that rely on Wildberries, so now the consequences of the war are closer to civilians in Russia.