Independent outlet Verstka reported that Russian marketplace Ozon sold more than 25 billion rubles ($280 million) worth of dual-use and military goods over the past year, with the largest share going to military-tactical equipment.
Buyers spent 9.1 billion rubles on military-tactical gear, including nearly 158,000 bulletproof vests worth 5 billion rubles and more than 81,000 ballistic helmets worth 1.48 billion rubles. The second most popular category was military optics — sights, night-vision devices and thermal imagers — with almost 350,000 orders totaling 7.22 billion rubles.
Drone-related goods accounted for 6.26 billion rubles, with about 3 billion rubles of that going to drone parts and components — frames, propellers, receivers, cameras and batteries that can be used to assemble a drone independently. Another nearly 2.5 billion rubles was spent on firearm components: stocks, grips, handguards, rails and laser designators.
In total, journalists identified 33 product categories that could be used in warfare. Since late August, Ukrainian drones have periodically attacked Ozon logistics facilities in various Russian regions. The company has reported fires and warehouse damage; after a series of attacks, the marketplace's shares fell sharply. According to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, a third of Ozon is owned by a company belonging to billionaire Gennady Timchenko, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.