Illia Kabachynskyi

Since July 18, Ukrainian drones have systematically struck warehouses and sorting centers belonging to Wildberries—often dubbed “Russia’s Amazon.” More than a quarter of the company’s logistics network, including at least 14 warehouses covering 1.5 million square meters, has been hit. The campaign has already triggered a sharp drop in sales of military equipment.

Ukrainian intelligence has detected signs that Russia is preparing a new wave of mobilization immediately after the staged State Duma elections on September 21, 2026, likely in the first days of October. The campaign could involve between 300,000 and 500,000 new recruits. 

For 40 consecutive days, Ukraine waged one of its largest long-range strike campaigns since the start of the full-scale invasion. Thousands of drones and missiles targeted Russian air bases, oil refineries, military industries, and logistics hubs in an effort to raise the cost of the war and pressure the Kremlin toward negotiations. By the end of the campaign, more than 100 strategic facilities had reportedly been struck—including every one of Russia’s 11 largest oil refineries.

Russian missiles that hit a grain ship near Odesa did not stop at Ukraine’s coastline. Their impact will be felt thousands of kilometers away, as seen in bread prices in Egypt and the availability of flour in Somalia.

Putin has now signed six decrees expanding Russia’s Armed Forces since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin’s continued expansion sends a clear message: Russia is not seeking de-escalation but is building its military to sustain and potentially widen it.

For years, the Moscow Exchange was the Kremlin’s best argument that sanctions had failed. Now it is becoming the strongest evidence that Russia’s wartime economy is beginning to fail.