Kiev pursues media hype by attacking Wildberries warehouses in Russia — security official

Deputy Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Alexander Maslennikov emphasized that this is an attempt to destabilize small businesses

MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. By attacking warehouses of Russia’s online marketplace Wildberries the Kiev regime attempts to destabilize small businesses and gain a media hype, but the consequences for the economy in general are limited, Deputy Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Alexander Maslennikov said.

"Firstly, marketplaces are seemed as a symbol of habitual consumption and stable lifestyle. The impact on such facilities primarily affects ordinary people: approximately 65% of the Wildberries audience are women aged 25-45, who are obviously not a party to the conflict," Maslennikov said in an interview with Russia’s Vedomosti daily.

"Secondly, it is an attempt to destabilize small businesses that actively operate on marketplaces. Sellers and buyers lose goods, face downtime and additional costs," he continued.

"Violations of standard processes lead to disruptions along the entire chain and it all results in local economic losses. For private small business organizations, such losses can be very significant, but they are very insignificant for the economy in general," Maslennikov noted.

"Thirdly, it’s about the media effect. Huge fires, human casualties, delays in deliveries, complaints from sellers and buyers cause a hype on social network platforms and in media on the whole, demonstrating Kiev's ability to hit civilian targets in the European part of Russia," the official emphasized.

"Let's be blunt. This is definitely terrorism and a war crime. By the way, this is exactly how the UN Human Rights Committee should interpret the events in [Tambov and Moscow Region’s] Kotovsk and Elektrostal," he continued. "Therefore, in the case of Wildberries, as with all crimes of this kind, the psychological and socio-political effect clearly dominates."

Early on July 18 morning, news emerged that Wildberries logistics centers in the Tambov Region’s Kotovsk and the Moscow Region’s Elektrostal were attacked with Ukrainian drones. The premises of an oil depot in Noginsk outside Moscow caught fire. The attack on Kotovsk left seven people dead and 25 others injured, while one person was killed and 37 others were injured in the Moscow Region.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened criminal probes into Kiev’s acts in Kotovsk and Elektrostal.

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