Sellers on Ozon have reported a surge in orders for expensive goods without insurance placed by unknown legal entities, according to specialized Telegram channels "Siniy Rassvet" and "Postavleno!". The channels said these orders shared common traits: high item price, no insurance, delivery to the same cluster where the seller is registered, and a corporate buyer.
Later, "Siniy Rassvet" published a screenshot of a message from Ozon to sellers. The platform said it had moved some of the sellers' goods from warehouses to pickup points. "We have moved some of your goods from warehouses to pickup points. You will not have to pay for this. Details will follow," the notification read. Ozon has not officially commented on the information.
The moves come amid Ukrainian attacks on Wildberries warehouses. Since mid-July, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have struck 18 of the company's warehouses in European Russia and the Urals. On the night of August 2, drones attacked a Wildberries warehouse in the village of Novosemeykino near Samara — the warehouse caught fire and, according to eyewitnesses, "completely collapsed."
According to Data Insight estimates, the total area of attacked Wildberries warehouses reached 1.21–1.47 million square meters. Damaged were 893,000–1.154 million square meters, or 17.2–22.2% of the publicly stated 5.2 million square meters of the marketplace's logistics infrastructure. The largest loss was the center in Elektrostal near Moscow, covering 250,000 square meters, which burned down completely.
Ozon warehouses have not yet been targeted, but the company's shares fell: on July 20, they dropped 14% to 2,484.5 rubles. By July 30, they had recovered some of the decline, rising to 2,984 rubles, still 12.6% below a month earlier.
In July, both marketplaces changed their contracts with sellers, dropping the obligation to compensate for loss or damage to goods if caused by military actions, including drone attacks. The changes took effect for Ozon on July 1 and for Wildberries on July 7.
According to Kommersant, major grocery chains are also preparing for possible warehouse strikes. Magnit, X5, Lenta, Metro, and Vkusvill may require suppliers to deliver goods directly to stores instead of distribution centers. Retailer Krasnoye & Beloye has introduced an additional agreement that removes its liability for destroyed goods in force majeure circumstances, including drone attacks.