Russian online retailer Wildberries removes "Special Military Operation" section but continues to sell military goods
Following Ukrainian drone attacks on Wildberries warehouses, the online retailer has removed the product tag "Everything for the SMO", which had been attached to over 200,000 products. The Russians refer to their unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine as "the special military operation" (SMO).
Source: The Moscow Times, an independent Amsterdam-based news outlet
Details: Attempts to search for this tag on the website or app now return a "No matching products found" message. However, The Moscow Times notes that military-purpose products are still available to buy on the online marketplace.
Quote: "Body armour and protective helmets are still available in the Sport section, FPV drones and components in the TV, Audio, Photo and Video Equipment category, and other search terms such as 'SMO products' or 'SMO kit' still bring up military first-aid kits, radios, backpacks, chevrons and flags."
Details: Since 18 July, Ukraine's Armed Forces have struck at least 10 Wildberries logistics centres, including warehouses in Elektrostal, Kotovsk, Koledino, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk, Voronezh, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and occupied Simferopol.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said these facilities were being used "to supply the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment and gear".
Background:
- On 18 July, drones attacked the town of Kotovsk in Russia's Tambov Oblast, causing a fire at a Wildberries logistics centre.
- Major Wildberries logistics centres in the Russian cities of Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk in Stavropol Krai caught fire following a drone attack on the night of 21-22 July.
- On 24 July, it was reported that explosions had been heard across Russian-occupied Crimea for the third night in a row, with social media users reporting drone strikes in several cities, including on a Wildberries warehouse in Simferopol.
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