Media: Wildberries orders metal mesh to protect against drones

Russia’s largest online marketplace, Wildberries, has apparently decided to protect its facilities that have not yet been targeted by Ukrainian drones with metal “barbecue” structures, The Bell reports, citing sources.

The report said, in early August, a tender was announced for the supply of 478,000 square metres of galvanised metal mesh for eight regions where the company’s logistics complexes are located.

The amount of mesh is enough to cover an area equivalent to 67 standard football pitches, with one pitch covering 7,140 square metres. Companies that submitted bids for the tender offered prices ranging from 154 to 474 roubles ($1.92–$5.91) per square metre, meaning Wildberries could spend between 73.6 million and 226.5 million roubles ($917,000–$2.82 million). The company’s losses from UAV strikes are estimated at between 100 billion and 200 billion roubles ($1.25–$2.49 billion).

The tender specifications showed the wire diameter must not exceed 2.5 mm, while delivery must be completed within no more than one week. The purpose of the purchase is not specified.

According to a source at an unnamed industrial enterprise cited by The Bell, the mesh is most likely intended to protect warehouses from UAV strikes.

“Enclosing everything with a metal fence is still the most popular option, given its relatively high effectiveness and the absence of risks or any regulatory requirements, apart from construction regulations,” the source said.

Similar metal structures are already being installed at oil depots, fuel storage tanks, thermal power plants, substations and other vulnerable facilities.

Another tender — for the purchase of silica fabric — also points to an attempt by Wildberries to protect its hubs from drones.

According to publicly available data, silica fabric is a heat-resistant material made from quartz fibre that can withstand prolonged exposure to temperatures of up to 1,000–1,200°C and short-term exposure to open flames, serving as a fire barrier. The material does not melt, release smoke or toxic gases when exposed to open flames, and retains its structure after extreme heating. The fabric is being purchased for 14 of the marketplace’s facilities in several regions.

Ukraine began systematically attacking Wildberries’ largest warehouses in mid-July. At least 22 facilities have been targeted, some of which were destroyed.

By 17 August, the area of the company’s warehouse facilities that had either burned down or been put out of operation had reached approximately 43%, or 2.4 million square metres, of its total capacity, according to an estimate by The Bell.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov