Kyrgyzstan has proposed hosting part of Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries’ warehouse and logistics network, aiming to reduce supply-chain risks and strengthen trade with Russia.
The proposal comes as a series of Ukrainian drone attacks has disrupted the company’s logistics infrastructure across Russia.
Temir Sariyev, president of the Kyrgyz Chamber of Commerce and Industry, put forward the proposal during a meeting of the Kyrgyz-Russian Business Council.
Sariyev suggested that Wildberries locate part of its warehouse network in Kyrgyzstan, arguing that distributing logistics capacity across several locations could reduce operational risks and make the company’s supply chain more resilient.
Sariyev identified several challenges currently affecting businesses trading between the two countries, including differences in product labelling and documentation requirements. He also pointed to delays at border crossings caused by sanitary inspections and long queues, which can be particularly problematic for perishable goods.
The proposal comes after a sustained series of attacks on Wildberries facilities in Russia. According to Reuters, at least 20 Wildberries sites have been targeted since 18 July.
The attacks have affected logistics facilities in more than 10 Russian regions, while more than 1.18 million square metres of warehouse space, representing more than one-fifth of the company’s reported capacity, have been damaged or destroyed.
The latest incident was reported on 11 August in Russia’s Voronezh region, where a Wildberries logistics facility was hit in a drone attack. One person was killed and two were injured, according to regional authorities.
The attacks have also affected businesses selling through Wildberries, with goods stored at damaged facilities lost and deliveries disrupted.
Wildberries has launched a voluntary compensation programme for affected sellers. The company initially targeted around 88,000 sellers in the first round of payments and later announced a second round covering around 97,000 entrepreneurs. As of 28 July, Wildberries said it had paid more than 40 million roubles to affected sellers.
Wildberries has also offered other forms of support, including discounts and payment deferrals for affected businesses.
For Kyrgyzstan, hosting part of Wildberries’ logistics network could provide an alternative storage and distribution base, while also helping local manufacturers who rely on the marketplace to reach Russian consumers.
The proposal comes amid disruption that has highlighted the risks of concentrating large volumes of inventory in a limited number of facilities.
Kyrgyz businesses using the platform have been among those affected by disruptions at warehouses in Russia. Sariyev’s proposal therefore links the immediate logistics problems facing Wildberries with Kyrgyzstan’s broader objective of strengthening trade infrastructure and increasing bilateral trade with Russia to $5 billion.
If implemented, additional warehouse capacity in Kyrgyzstan could give Wildberries another logistics base in Central Asia while providing Kyrgyz producers with a closer storage and distribution network.
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