Gunfire breaks out in Moscow as Wildberries CEO claims husband led raid attempt on company’s central office
At least two people were killed in a shooting in Moscow on Wednesday after a group reportedly led by businessman Vladislav Bakalchuk tried to break into the main headquarters of Wildberries, the online retailer that his wife founded. The incident comes just two months after Tatyana Bakalchuk, Russia’s wealthiest woman, announced that the couple were in the process of divorcing amid a merger between Wildberries and the advertising operator Russ Group, which Vladislav opposed. At least one of the men involved in the attempted break-in reportedly belongs to the mixed martial arts club founded by Chechnya Governor Ramzan Kadyrov, who blasted the merger alongside Vladislav Bakalchuk in a video posted shortly before Tatyana’s divorce announcement. Here’s what we know about the incident so far.
Update: Vladislav Bakalchuk, the estranged husband of Wildberries CEO Tatyana Bakalchuk, has been arrested in connection with the shooting, reports RBC, citing sources in law enforcement. Forbes, citing Bakalchuk’s lawyers, reports that he has been charged with murder, attempted murder, assault on a law enforcement officer, and vigilantism.
Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, said through its press service on Wednesday that Vladislav Bakalchuk, the husband of the company’s founder, had tried to forcibly enter the company’s Moscow headquarters along with armed guards. “Law enforcement has taken the necessary measures, and the situation is stable,” the company said.
Around the same time, the Telegram channel Mash reported that unknown individuals had “opened fire” at the company’s main office, leaving at least three people with gunshot wounds. “Preliminary information suggests a group of men tried to enter the office but were not allowed in. After that, a scuffle broke out,” the channel said.
A video posted by the Telegram channel Ostorozhno, Novosti appears to show a crowd of men trying to break into the building while security guards work to hold them back. Multiple shots are heard.
The Russian Investigative Committee later said it had launched a criminal case in connection with the shooting and confirmed that two people were killed and seven injured.
Earlier, the Telegram channel Shot reported that Bakalchuk had come to the Wildberries office to meet with a colleague, who was among the seven people injured in the shooting.
According to Mash, among the wounded are also mixed martial arts fighters Abubakar Mestoev and Umar Chichaev as well as heavyweight boxing champion Rashid Kodzev, all of whom reportedly arrived at the office along with Bakalchuk. Agentstvo Media reported that Chichaev is a member of the Akhmat Fight Club, which was founded by Chechnya Governor Ramzan Kadyrov.
Mash reported that at least 10 of the people involved in the conflict were taken into custody, some of whom resisted arrest. According to Interfax, however, as many as 30 people were arrested. A large number of police officers were reportedly deployed at the scene and the authorities blocked off the street where the Wildberries headquarters is located.
Also on Wednesday, Russian media personality Ksenia Sobchak wrote on Telegram that armed individuals wearing medical masks had shown up at the Wildberries office in Iskra Park, a business park in another part of Moscow. Employees of the Iskra Park office told Sobchak’s media group that their managers had told them to “get out of the office.”
A failed ‘takeover’
Writing on Telegram, Vladislav Bakalchuk stated that he’d come to the Wildberries main office for negotiations regarding the “halt of warehouse construction.”
“I arrived at the company’s office with my colleagues, but as soon as we entered, we were attacked by security personnel and unknown individuals, who provoked an armed conflict. At some point, shots were fired, and one of my colleagues was injured,” Bakalchuk told RBC, adding that he believed he might have been the target.
Tatyana Bakalchuk, however, described the incident as a “failed attempt at a hostile takeover.” She alleged that a group led by Vladislav Bakalchuk had attempted to seize the Wildberries offices in Moscow. She also confirmed that three people were injured.
“The statement that an armed group came for supposed negotiations is absurd since no one had agreed to any such talks. I publicly call on law enforcement to take control of the situation.” Tatyana Bakalchuk wrote on Telegram.
Later, Vladislav Bakalchuk issued another statement about the shooting at the Wildberries office, urging the leadership of RVB (the merged entity of Wildberries and Russ Group) to “stop spreading lies and manipulating facts” and blamed the company for the shooting and injuries.
According to him, he and his colleagues came to the Wildberries office for a prearranged meeting with RVB management, accompanied by police officers.
“I knew provocations were possible, so I requested security from the Interior Ministry. However, the business center’s security refused to let me and my colleagues through, offering absurd excuses, as if we were ‘unknown people in civilian clothes,’ despite the presence of police.
No one could have imagined that there would be gunfire. My people were unarmed, and we were protected by police. The first shots came from inside the Wildberries office, through the glass. Panic broke out — there was smoke everywhere, and people scrambled for cover. My colleagues who came with me were injured. This wasn’t a shootout, as the RVB management is trying to claim — it was an outright execution.”
In comments to Fontanka, Vladislav Bakalchuk called the shooting an “assassination attempt,” stating that he had already given his testimony to the police.
In response, Wildberries’ press service stated that the first shots were fired by armed individuals accompanying Bakalchuk. The company confirmed an “attempted illegal entry” at two of its offices, adding that the incident had not disrupted its operations or business processes. Wildberries also noted that Bakalchuk no longer has access to the office, as he is not an employee and, as the owner, only has the right to request documents.
Bad blood
The shooting occurred against the backdrop of the Bakalchuks’ acrimonious divorce and the merger of Wildberries with the outdoor advertising operator Russ Group, which was announced in June. According to RBC, the merger was approved by Russia’s government cabinet and was overseen by Kremlin deputy chief of staff Maxim Oreshkin. Forbes obtained a letter in which President Vladimir Putin instructed Oreshkin to support the merger.
Sources gave Forbes several theories regarding the conflict between the Bakalchuks. One suggested that Tatyana Bakalchuk was concerned about potential issues with law enforcement and regulatory agencies because of a fire at a Wildberries warehouse near St. Petersburg. Representatives from Russ reportedly “helped resolve the issue at the highest level in exchange for a stake in the business.” Another source said that Tatyana Bakalchuk decided to merge Wildberries with Russ Outdoor because of her relationship with the company’s CEO, Robert Mirzoyan.
On September 13, Vedomosti reported that RVB was preparing to sue Bakalchuk’s company, VB Development, for 27 billion rubles ($292.8 million) over non-fulfillment of obligations under more than 60 contracts. VB Development was tasked with constructing warehouses for RVB.
During a press conference that same day, Bakalchuk announced the halt of Wildberries’ warehouse construction. He claimed that since early September, RVB’s new management had blocked payments to VB Development, leading to the suspension of work on 32 projects. The businessman said he planned to settle the conflict out of court.