MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Operations at warehouses of the Wildberries e-commerce company in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk have been suspended, according to the WB Partners Telegram channel. Deliveries scheduled to these warehouses can be canceled or transferred to any other location, and storage costs will no longer be charged starting July 22.
Earlier, Russian banks announced they would support Wildberries sellers affected by the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks.
TASS has compiled the key information on the situation.
Warehouse operations
"Wildberries, together with relevant services, is working to mitigate the consequences of the attacks on its logistics centers in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol," company founder Tatyana Kim reported on her Telegram channel.
Wildberries warehouse operations in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk have been suspended, according to the WB Partners Telegram channel.
Scheduled deliveries to these warehouses can be canceled or transferred to any other location. Storage fees will no longer be charged for these goods, effective July 22.
Sellers planning deliveries to the Kotovsk and Elektrostal warehouses can also redirect them to other warehouses without penalties.
Goods stored at the Wildberries warehouse in Kotovsk, which was attacked by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, will return to stores on July 23 after an assessment of the logistics complex's condition is completed.
Support for victims
- Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim promised to provide support to those affected by the Ukrainian Armed Forces attack on Wildberries warehouses.
- A hotline for logistics workers in Elektrostal, as well as their families and friends, continues to operate 24/7, the press service of the merged company Wildberries and Russ (RVB) reported.
- All necessary consultations and support are being provided in full.
- On Monday, Wildberries began making the first payments to the families of those killed and seriously injured in the attack on the company's logistics centers.
- It was previously reported that the families of the deceased Wildberries employees will receive 2 million rubles ($25,460) from the company, and those seriously injured will receive 1 million rubles ($12,730).
- Authorities in the Tambov region are developing support measures for the victims and families of those killed in the Ukrainian Armed Forces attack on the Wildberries logistics center, the regional government press service told TASS.
Tambov Oblast authorities will make a one-time payment of 1.5 million rubles ($19,095) to the families of those killed in the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on the Wildberries warehouse in Kotovsk, regional governor Yevgeny Pervyshov announced.
Wildberries seller support
- The situation for Wildberries, as well as for small and medium-sized businesses, following the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on the company's warehouses is challenging, but the government is addressing the issue, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
- According to Kim, the company is developing a mechanism to compensate sellers for lost goods.
- Wildberries is also offering sellers discounts on storage at certain warehouses for the first 45 days from the date of delivery, as well as a 100% discount on transit deliveries to regional warehouses, Kim reported.
- These are initial decisions. Work on a seller support mechanism is ongoing, she noted.
- An impact assessment is needed to determine the amount of payments. Experts estimate this will take up to 30 days, Kim emphasized.
Support from banks
- Russian banks PSB, VTB, Tochka Bank, as well as Sber and WB Bank, have offered a range of measures to support Wildberries marketplace entrepreneurs whose goods were damaged as a result of attacks on logistics warehouses in the Moscow and Tambov regions. This was reported by the press services of the banks.
- VTB has launched a deferment of principal and interest payments under the current loan agreement for these sellers.
- PSB Bank is offering sellers whose goods were located in damaged warehouses the opportunity to work together to find a solution to reduce their financial burden.
- Depending on the situation, loan payment deferments, repayment schedule modifications, debt restructuring, or payment holidays may be available, the organization stated on its Telegram channel.
- Tochka Bank has granted Wildberries sellers free access to an archive of warehouse balances in Elektrostal and Kotovsk to assess the damage. The report will help confirm the quantity of goods stored in the warehouse prior to the incident and use this data when considering compensation for losses, the credit institution's press service reported.
- Sberbank previously began accepting applications for loan restructuring for businesses that lost inventory at Wildberries warehouses.
- The bank also launched free consultations for sellers on issues related to the incident.
- WB Bank announced that it will offer affected small and medium-sized businesses up to six months of debt repayment deferrals; for larger players, the process will be established soon.
Regional support measures
- Nizhny Novgorod Region authorities will hold negotiations with Wildberries on behalf of suppliers affected by warehouse fires, Governor Gleb Nikitin reported.
- Kostroma Region Governor Sergei Sitnikov ordered the prompt development of support measures for entrepreneurs affected by the attack on Wildberries logistics centers. This includes including the inclusion of lost goods and expenses in the cost price to reduce the tax burden.
- A working meeting will also be held this week with representatives of the tax inspectorate, the antimonopoly service, and the business ombudsman, where specific solutions will be developed for those who find themselves in a difficult situation, he added.
Employee support
- Employees of Wildberries logistics centers will maintain their usual pay levels in the event of evacuations, the press service of the merged company of Wildberries and Russ (RVB) reported.
- The company has revised its compensation to compensate warehouse employees for lost pay for time spent during evacuations.
- The new rules are part of a set of additional measures aimed at enhancing the safety of employees at the company's logistics facilities, the company noted.
- Kim reported that the company has changed the rules at logistics facilities in emergency situations.
Impact on customers
- Wildberries services, pickup points, and logistics facilities are operating as usual. Current and new orders are being processed correctly and are being issued at pickup points, the press service of the merged Wildberries and Russ (RVB) company reported.
- The attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Wildberries logistics center and warehouse will not affect the cost of goods for customers, Evgeny Masharov, a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation's Commission on Public Oversight and Handling Citizens' Appeals, told TASS.
Attacks on logistics centers
- On the morning of July 18, it was reported that Wildberries logistics centers in Kotovsk (Tambov Region) and Elektrostal (Moscow Region) were attacked by a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone.
- On June 20, it was reported that the Wildberries warehouse complex in Koledino was evacuated for security reasons. It resumed normal operations that same day.
- On the night of July 22, Wildberries logistics centers in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk were attacked.