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A ban on smartphones at Wildberries warehouses across Russia took effect Monday after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeted logistics sites belonging to the country's largest online retailer.
Russian news outlet Forpost reported, citing what it described as "internal company documents," that Wildberries circulated the new rules to employees on July 31, with the restrictions taking effect Aug. 3.
The reported notice says employees are prohibited from taking photos or videos during air raid alerts, warning that such recordings could reveal the positions of Russian air defense systems, violate Russian law and result in administrative or, in some cases, criminal liability.
Instead of smartphones, warehouse workers will be allowed to carry basic mobile phones without cameras to remain in contact with relatives while complying with the new security requirements, according to the report.
Wildberries confirmed to Forpost that the restrictions had been introduced, saying the measure was intended to prevent employees from filming and distributing footage of the aftermath of drone attacks.
A new overnight Ukrainian strike targeted a Wildberries warehouse in the Vladimir region, about 180 kilometers (112 miles) east of Moscow, the company and local authorities reported Monday.
"A fire broke out at one of the company's logistics sites in the Vladimir region following an attack," Wildberries said in a statement, adding that warehouse staff had been evacuated.
Regional Gov. Alexander Avdeyev said the attack was carried out by drones.
"There is damage and a fire," Avdeyev posted on the Russian messaging app Max, adding that "a young man was injured."
Since mid-July, Ukraine has struck around 20 Wildberries sites across Russia and in annexed Crimea.
The initial attacks on the night of July 17-18 left eight people dead and nearly 90 wounded at sites in the Moscow and Tambov regions.
Since then, Ukrainian drone strikes have targeted sites near St. Petersburg, in Simferopol in Crimea, and in Krasnodar, Volgograd and Samara.
Last week, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak instructed officials to provide assistance to marketplace sellers whose goods were damaged in attacks on Wildberries logistics centers.
Russian authorities have also stepped up enforcement against the publication of footage showing the aftermath of drone attacks.
Police in St. Petersburg recently fined a local resident for posting a video of a drone strike on a Wildberries warehouse.
Wildberries is one of Russia's most popular online retail platforms and is often dubbed the "Russian Amazon."
The attacks on its warehouses are part of a campaign of long-range Ukrainian strikes targeting infrastructure in Russia, which has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine since February 2022.
Kyiv says the aim is to force the Kremlin to negotiate an end to the war.
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