E-commerce giant Wildberries announced Friday that it has frozen loan repayments for small and medium-sized businesses whose inventory was destroyed in recent Ukrainian drone attacks on its warehouses.
The three-month payment pause will apply automatically through the company’s in-house financial services through the end of October. The relief builds on existing financial support provided through the retailer’s parent company Wildberries & Russ (RWB).
Wildberries previously announced a broader merchant relief package, including reduced storage fees, promotional discounts for select products and waived regional transit charges.
On Thursday, RWB said that around 88,000 individual merchants began receiving the first tranche of compensation payments for products destroyed during a Ukrainian attack on its fulfillment center in the Moscow region.
However, some merchants have complained online that the payouts fell well short of the value of their lost goods, according to an analysis of seller chat groups by the exiled news outlet Agentstvo.
The Moscow region fulfillment center was among the first Wildberries facilities hit last Saturday. A wave of subsequent strikes has targeted multiple other warehouses, knocking out an estimated 10% of the company’s logistics capacity, Kommersant reported.
Ukraine has accused Wildberries of supplying the Russian military with drone parts and other equipment. The company has denied the claim.
Wildberries CEO Tatyana Kim, Russia’s wealthiest woman, promised financial aid to the families of employees killed or injured in the attacks.
Just days before the strikes began, Wildberries updated its merchant agreement to exempt itself from financial liability for products damaged or destroyed in missile and drone attacks. Other Russian e-commerce platforms have since done the same.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
