Updated · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · Aug 11
Wildberries to Build 260,000-SqM Kazakhstan Warehouse as Ukraine Strikes Hit 12 Russian Sites
Updated
Updated · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · Aug 11
Wildberries to Build 260,000-SqM Kazakhstan Warehouse as Ukraine Strikes Hit 12 Russian Sites
3 articles · Updated · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · Aug 11
Summary
Kazakhstan will build 260,000 square meters of warehouse capacity for Wildberries, Trade Minister Arman Shakkaliyev said, confirming a long-term expansion project by Russia’s biggest online retailer.
More than a dozen Wildberries warehouses in Russia have been hit in Ukrainian attacks, pushing the company to seek storage space across the border as strikes also disrupt Russian energy infrastructure.
Those attacks have already driven Moscow to negotiate refining Russian crude at Kazakh facilities, highlighting Kazakhstan’s growing role as a fallback hub for Russian business.
Astana is weighing the economic upside against sanctions and sovereignty risks, with analysts saying it will likely keep approving Russian projects case by case while trying to preserve neutrality in the war.
As Russian firms flee Ukrainian strikes, can Kazakhstan's fragile infrastructure handle the massive industrial influx without collapsing under the pressure?
Will Kazakhstan's risky gamble to absorb Russia's battered industries trigger devastating Western sanctions or secure its economic future?