At least two people were killed and several others injured in a shooting at the headquarters of Russian online retailer Wildberries in Moscow on Wednesday.
The incident involved an armed group led by Vladislav Bakalchuk, the ex-husband of Wildberries founder Tatiana Bakalchuk, who allegedly attempted to force entry into the building.
Law enforcement is currently investigating the situation, which left two police officers injured and nearly 30 individuals arrested, according to the Interfax news agency. State-run TASS reported that two security guards were among the fatalities.
The altercation began when Bakalchuk and his group tried to enter the premises. A video shared by the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Mash captured the scuffle outside the office, followed by gunshots and shouting.
Bakalchuk later claimed on Telegram that he and his “team” were attacked while attempting to negotiate the halt of a warehouse construction. “I’m fine, and we’re sorting it out. Stay tuned for details,” he wrote.
In response, Tatiana Bakalchuk, Russia’s wealthiest woman, disputed his claims, stating that no such negotiations were arranged. She asserted that Wildberries had contacted law enforcement after her ex-husband attempted to seize control of the office.
“We have nothing to hide, so I ask that the investigation’s findings be made public,” she said, characterizing the incident as an unsuccessful hostile takeover.
This shooting incident comes amid heightened tensions surrounding Wildberries, which recently announced a merger with Russ Group to create a new digital trading platform called RWB.
The merger has drawn criticism, as Wildberries is significantly larger than Russ Group, with 2022 revenues of 538.7 billion rubles ($2.7 billion) compared to Russ Group’s 27.9 billion rubles ($300 million).
Business analysts have described the merger as unusual, suggesting it might be part of Russia’s wartime asset redistribution benefiting Kremlin-affiliated figures.
Tensions between Tatiana and Vladislav Bakalchuk escalated following their divorce in July, with Vladislav previously seeking assistance from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who labeled the merger a “brazen takeover.”
According to the independent outlet Agentstvo, videos from the shooting show that three MMA fighters linked to a fighting club founded by Kadyrov were present during the incident.
