Kazakhstan could face heightened sanctions risks if Russian ecommerce group Wildberries expands its warehouse operations in the country, as "Russia's Amazon" seeks to protect and strengthen its logistics network following Ukrainian drone attacks on many of its facilities in Russia.

That's the concern of Kazakh economist Aidar Alibayev and an anonymous diplomatic source at the Ukrainian embassy in Astana, as reported by Azattyk on August 5.

Ukrainian drone strikes on the ecommerce giant that began on July 18 have wrought havoc at operations at several Wildberries logistics centres in Russia. Company founder Tatyana Kim said the closure of at least four major facilities affected business partners not only in Russia but also in neighbouring countries.

Russian media subsequently reported that Wildberries was considering leasing or building an additional 100,000 square metres of warehouse space in Kazakhstan, though the company has denied planning to move its main warehousing and logistics to locations outside Russia. The company currently leases about 46,000 square metres in Kazakhstan. It said it reorganised its logistics operations by redistributing goods across its existing network after the attacks on its Russian facilities.

Alibayev reportedly noted that it was unsurprising that Wildberries was looking for warehouse space outside Russia in a country not directly involved in the war.

"Where else would Russians expand and increase their warehouse capacity if not in Kazakhstan, which, excuse me, is right next door? There is a comfortable Russian-speaking environment there and millions of economic ties. In my view, the possibility that warehouses in Kazakhstan could become targets for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is absolutely zero. It simply cannot happen," he was reported as saying.

At the same time, Alibayev warned that an expanded logistics presence could expose Kazakhstan to geopolitical risks, the news outlet’s report said.

"There will be some dual-use products there. All of this will push Kazakhstan towards the risk of coming under sanctions. Tomorrow, the West could learn that Wildberries is using us to support the Russian military … When [Wildberries] comes in now, [it will say] this is an exclusively peaceful initiative — purely commercial warehouses for baby clothes, hats and so on," Alibayev reportedly said.

Officials at Ukraine's embassy in Kazakhstan expressed similar concerns. A diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Azattyk that banks, logistics companies, warehouse operators and other businesses involved in Wildberries' supply chain could attract greater scrutiny from Western governments if the retailer expanded its operations.

"Banks, logistics companies, warehouse operators and other participants in the supply chain working with the Russian marketplace could come under increased scrutiny from Western countries," the source said.

The source also argued that a larger logistics footprint would strengthen Wildberries' competitive position in Kazakhstan at the expense of domestic platforms.

"The Russian company will be able to deliver goods more quickly and reduce logistics costs compared with local platforms, particularly in the most profitable categories such as electronics, clothing and household appliances," the source said. "In the long term, Kazakhstan risks becoming even more dependent on Russian digital infrastructure. Along with its investments, Wildberries gains control over logistics, trade flows and a significant share of the country's ecommerce market."

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Trade and Integration said on July 29 that it had received no formal request from Wildberries to establish additional warehouse capacity. It said any proposal would be assessed in accordance with national legislation and Kazakhstan's national interests. There have also been no public statements from the Kazakh government confirming work on integrating ecommerce marketplaces with Russia.

Wildberries is currently carrying out construction of two logistics centres in Kazakhstan with a combined area of more than 260,000 square metres. The larger facility, covering about 170,000 square metres in Almaty, is expected to open in the first quarter of 2027, while a second site of roughly 100,000 square metres is under construction in Astana. Both projects were announced several years ago and were unrelated to the recent drone strikes.

Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev on August 4 called on Kazakh businesses and consumers to support domestic ecommerce platforms, urging them to show "economic patriotism". Referring to recent attacks on warehouses in Russia and the loss of goods in fires, he encouraged market participants to "analyse the situation" and opt for platforms capable of ensuring reliable and timely deliveries.