In early August, Wildberries announced a tender for the supply of 478,000 m² of galvanised metal mesh for logistics centres in eight regions of Russia, according to The Bell. The tender documents do not specify the intended use of the material, but a source at an industrial company contacted by the publication suggests that the netting is needed to protect warehouses from attacks by Ukrainian drones.
Briefly about the main points
- The tender covers 478,000 m² of galvanised metal mesh.
- Delivery of the material should take no more than seven days.
- The estimated value of the procurement ranges from 73.6 to 226.5 million roubles.
- The company also purchases silica fabric for 14 sites.
- Since 18 July, at least 22 Wildberries sites have come under attack.
Tender conditions and documentation for 14 projects
According to the tender documentation, the wire diameter must not exceed 2.5 mm, and the delivery period must not exceed seven days. The procurement is divided into eight lots, but bids were received for only three of them, so the tender is still under consideration.
Contractors who submitted tenders for the procurement offered prices ranging from 154 to 474 roubles per square metre. At these rates, the total cost of the mesh could range from 73.6 to 226.5 million roubles.
A separate tender Wildberries This involves the procurement of silica fabric for 14 sites in various regions. It is a highly heat-resistant material made from quartz fibre, capable of withstanding prolonged exposure to temperatures of up to 1,000–1,200 °C. To protect against UAVs, such fabric can act as a fire barrier, safeguarding equipment from ignition.
The net is being linked to protection against drones following a series of attacks
The publicly available tender documentation does not specify exactly what the netting is intended for. A source at an industrial company speaking to The Bell believes it may be installed around warehouse facilities as protection against drone impacts. Such structures are positioned along the perimeter, a few metres away from the building, so that they absorb the impact of a drone.
Ukrainian drones began attacking Wildberries’ warehouses on 18 July. Over the following month, at least 22 of the company’s facilities across dozens of regions in Russia were hit. As of 17 August, approximately 2.4 million m² of warehouse space had been destroyed or rendered inoperable — around 43% of Wildberries’ total floor space. In early August, a warehouse covering an area of around 160,000 m² in the Samara Region was burnt down, and the goods inside were destroyed.
