Ukrainian Drone Strikes Hit Moscow, Prompting Government Talks on Wildberries Aid

Nearly 400 Ukrainian drones entered the airspace over Moscow and its surrounding oblast overnight, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who said 390 drones were tracked and “most” were intercepted. Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported that a few dozen drones were downed across the region, including in Podolsk, Domodedovo and Kolomna, and that an apartment building in the town of Chekhov (about 50 km south of the capital) sustained façade damage but no casualties. A separate strike in the Belgorod region injured at least 19 people.

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The attacks damaged at least seven warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, destroying roughly 10 % of the company’s storage capacity. Wildberries announced a 30-day period to assess the damage before it could compensate sellers whose goods were stored in the affected sites. One seller, Inna Marchenko of St. Petersburg, said she lost 1.5 million roubles of pet-food inventory but received only 8,000 roubles in advertising credit. The company also offered temporary discounts on storage fees to help affected merchants.

Reuters

State-controlled bank VTB is expected to play a central role in any assistance package, according to two unnamed sources. The Kremlin confirmed that discussions have taken place but no decision has been made. Proposed measures include loans from state-owned banks, tax breaks, or subsidies for Wildberries and its sellers. Analysts noted that uncertainty over the partnership caused VTB shares to fall 2.5 %.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Wildberries for voluntarily assisting sellers after the attacks, calling the move “deserving of the highest praise.” Wildberries declined to comment on the ongoing government talks. A prominent seller, Marina Gorshkova, appealed publicly for tax relief, warning that the company’s collapse would deprive the state of tax revenue and hinder new entrepreneurs.

Reuters

• “This, of course, deserves the highest praise,” — Dmitry Peskov, kremlin spokesman

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• “There were questions about the possibility of VTB supporting our partner, Wildberries, in the wake of these negative events. If we receive such a request, we will, of course, be open to various forms of lending support,” — Dmitry Pyanov, VTB's first deputy CEO

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