From August 2025 through July 2026, users of the Russian online marketplace Ozon ordered more than 2.13 million items that could be used for military purposes, paying over 25 billion rubles ($290 million under the current exchange rate), the independent outlet Verstka reports, citing the marketplace’s internal analytics. Journalists identified 33 categories of goods with direct and potential military uses and grouped them into four clusters: military-tactical gear, optics, drones and their components, and firearm parts and accessories.
Military-tactical gear accounted for the largest share. Over the year, users ordered more than 527,000 such items worth 9.14 billion rubles ($106.2 million). Items in this group included body armor, ballistic helmets, tactical vests, protective plates, and neck and shoulder protection.
Nearly 157,700 pieces of body armor were ordered for 5.07 billion rubles ($58.9 million). The average order value was 32,300 rubles ($375). Another 1.48 billion rubles ($17.2 million) went toward the purchase of 81,100 ballistic helmets, and 1.2 billion rubles ($13.9 million) was used to buy nearly 159,000 tactical vests and belts.
Military optics were ordered nearly 350,000 times over the year at a total of 7.22 billion rubles ($83.9 million). This group included optical, collimator, digital, and thermal imaging sights, night vision devices, and thermal imagers. Thermal imaging sights turned out to be the most expensive: more than 28,000 units were ordered at an average price of about 140,000 rubles ($1,600).
Users spent 6.26 billion rubles ($72.7 million) on drones and related products, while about 3 billion rubles ($34.9 million) went toward 554,000 accessories, including frames, propellers, receivers, and cameras for building custom drones. Another 1.15 billion rubles ($13.3 million) was spent on batteries, and about 1.7 billion rubles ($19.7 million) on fully assembled drones.
Components and accessories for small arms were ordered for nearly 2.46 billion rubles ($28.5 million). Weapon grips were the most frequently purchased item — more than 132,500 units for 307 million rubles ($3.5 million). However, the highest revenue in this group came from stocks: 58,500 units were ordered for nearly 605 million rubles ($7 million).
The calculations are based on categories from Ozon’s internal analytics that Verstka classified as military or dual-use goods. These may include items that end up being used for civilian purposes, and the data does not make it possible to identify the buyers or end recipients of the goods. Ozon has thus far not commented on the findings.
Several Ozon logistics centers across Russia have come under aerial attack in recent days following a series of strikes against facilities belonging to its chief competitor in the Russian market, the Wildberries online marketplace. The first confirmed strike on an Ozon warehouse occurred on Aug. 22 in Chapayevsk, Samara Region, leading to a fire and several injuries. In the following days, attacks and the threat of strikes affected the company’s facilities in several more regions, and on Aug. 27, Ozon reported attempted attacks on warehouses in Ufa and Orenburg.
