After Wildberries Drone Attacks, Kazakhstan Minister Urges Support for Local Marketplaces

Kazakhstan's Trade and Integration Minister Arman Shakkaliyev has encouraged consumers to shop on domestic online marketplaces, urging them not to base their purchases solely on the lowest prices offered by foreign platforms and invoking what he called “economic patriotism.” Speaking to reporters, Shakkaliyev advised consumers to use marketplaces they trust, saying that domestic platforms offered greater assurance that purchases would be delivered. He was responding to questions about the disruption affecting Wildberries after drone attacks on its Russian facilities. On August 2, Ukrainian drones struck a Wildberries warehouse in Novosemeykino, in the Samara region, causing a fire. The following day, Wildberries said a separate logistics facility in the Vladimir region had also caught fire following an attack. No casualties were initially reported at either site. Shakkaliyev's remarks come amid reports that Wildberries is seeking additional warehouse capacity in Kazakhstan. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the company is looking for approximately 100,000 square meters of warehouse space in Kazakhstan, although no single vacant facility of that size is currently available on the local market. The issue has also drawn attention in Moscow. Speaking on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Kazakhstan Media Forum, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said efforts to integrate Russian and Kazakhstan-based online marketplaces had begun well before the recent attacks on logistics infrastructure and were continuing. He noted that more than 100,000 suppliers from Kazakhstan were registered on the Russian marketplaces Wildberries and Ozon, another e-commerce giant. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Trade and Integration has previously stated that it has not yet received an official request from Wildberries to establish additional warehouse facilities in the country. The ministry said that any such proposal would be reviewed in accordance with Kazakhstan's legislation and national interests. It added that all market participants would be subject to the same rules, without special preferences or exemptions.

Kazakhstan Yet to Receive Wildberries Warehouse Request

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration has said it is prepared to consider a request from RWB, the company formed through the merger of online marketplace Wildberries and outdoor advertising operator Russ, to establish additional warehouse capacity in the country. The company’s reported interest comes amid continuing drone attacks on logistics infrastructure in Russia. The ministry said it has not yet received any formal request from Wildberries. Should one be submitted, it would be considered in accordance with Kazakhstan’s legislation and the country’s national interests. “To date, the Ministry of Trade and Integration has not received any official request from Wildberries regarding the placement of additional warehouse facilities in the Republic of Kazakhstan. If such proposals are submitted, they will be considered in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and with due regard for the country’s national interests,” the ministry said. The ministry added that it supports investment projects aimed at developing modern logistics infrastructure, creating jobs, and expanding cross-border e-commerce. It also stressed that all market participants are subject to the same rules under Kazakhstan’s legislation and the regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union, with no special preferences or exemptions. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, RWB began looking for warehouse space in Kazakhstan after a series of drone attacks on logistics facilities in Russia that began on July 18. The company is seeking approximately 100,000 square meters of warehouse space, although market participants say there is currently no single vacant logistics complex of that size in Kazakhstan. The expansion of logistics infrastructure has become a priority as Kazakhstan’s online retail market grows. The Ministry of Trade and Integration says the sector is now more than seven times larger than five years ago, surpassing $6.1 billion and accounting for 14.1% of retail turnover. By 2030, the government wants online sales to account for 20% of the domestic retail market.