The retailer said the move is meant to stop workers from filming drone strike damage and revealing air defense positions as Russian authorities tighten restrictions on such footage.
Wildberries has banned smartphones at its warehouses across Russia after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on the country’s largest online retailer. Forpost reported, citing internal company documents, that the rules were circulated on July 31 and took effect Aug. 3. The reported notice bars employees from taking photos or videos during air raid alerts, saying such recordings could expose Russian air defense positions, breach Russian law and trigger administrative or criminal liability. Workers may instead carry basic mobile phones without cameras so they can stay in contact with relatives while complying with the security rules. Wildberries confirmed the restrictions to Forpost, saying they were intended to prevent staff from filming and distributing footage of drone attack aftermath. The company’s logistics facilities have been repeatedly targeted since mid-July, with the first attacks killing several people and injuring dozens. Russian authorities have stepped up enforcement against publishing footage of the strikes, including a fine in St. Petersburg for a local resident who posted video of a drone strike on a Wildberries warehouse.