Shootout Over Control Of Russia's Largest Online Marketplace – Wildberries – JP

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Control of Russia’s ‘Amazon’, Wildberries, is up for grabs — its headquarters has been shot up in a gunfight over who runs the place.

What started out as a conflict between founders Tatyana and Vladislav Baklachuk (now divorced) has turned into a war between their patrons—billionaire Suleiman Kerimov and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Vladislav Bakalchuk tried Wednesday to force his way into the company’s Moscow headquarters, accompanied by a team of bodyguards. The result was a shoot-out that left two people dead. Now, Vladislav Bakalchuk may well end up emerging as the loser in this corporate battle, reported Russian independent news agency The Bell.

Vladislav Bakalchuk and several dozen armed men turned up at Wildberries headquarters in the prestigious Romanov Dvor business center (just 300 meters from the Kremlin) on Wednesday afternoon. Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the complex was home to Russian offices of major Western companies including news agency Bloomberg, investment bank Credit Suisse and IT giant Apple. In 2023, Wildberries moved into Apple’s old offices. 

It turned out that Wildberries security guards were waiting for Bakalchuk and his men. The result was a shoot-out that left seven people injured, and two Wildberries security guards dead. Events unfolded in front of dozens of police officers, who eventually managed to separate the conflicting parties.

A total of 33 people were arrested, which gives you an idea of the size of the brawl. Among those detained was Vladislav Bakalchuk, who claims that his wife, Tatyana, with the support of Kerimov, has tricked him out of his 50% stake in the company. Bakalchuk sought support from Kadyrov.