Analysis | War of Attrition Enters New Phase

Shift in Strategic Targeting Across the Front & Rear

Reports highlight a significant escalation in civilian and commercial infrastructure targeting as both sides expand deep-strike operations:

▪️ Expanded Target Scope: Direct strikes continue to hit retail distribution centers, food storage facilities, logistics hubs, commercial enterprises, and building material depositories.

▪️ Russian🇳🇱 Retaliation Push: According to statements attributed to Ukrainian presidential advisors, Russian forces have broadened operational strikes against Ukrainian supply and economic infrastructure.

▪️ The Wildberries Factor: Debate mounts over Kyiv’s systematic drone campaign against Wildberries—Russia's largest online marketplace ("Russia's Amazon"). Critics cite severe economic retaliatory risks, while Ukrainian officials defend the campaign as disrupting dual-use military supply lines and corporate banking stability.

Key Operational Updates & Context

Ukrainian Campaign Against Wildberries: Since mid-July 2026, Ukrainian long-range UAV strikes have hit over a dozen major Wildberries logistics hubs across western Russia, Moscow Oblast, and Crimea. Kyiv asserts the marketplace is widely used by volunteers and military units to supply soldiers with dual-use goods (e.g., drone parts, tactical gear, and power generators).

Economic & Civilian Fallout: The strikes have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in inventory losses, hitting hundreds of thousands of independent Russian small business sellers. This strategy aims to strain Russia's corporate banking system (which heavily finances major e-commerce platforms).

Retaliatory Reciprocation: In response to deep commercial infrastructure strikes, Russian missile and drone bombardments have targeted Ukrainian postal networks (such as Nova Poshta), commercial distribution centers, and regional food/logistics facilities across Ukraine.🇺🇦