Russia is considering support measures for retailers after Ukrainian strikes caused heavy losses at warehouses used by online marketplace Wildberries, Bloomberg reported.
The proposals under discussion are aimed at helping sellers on the platform whose goods were damaged in the attacks.
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One option would allow affected merchants to suspend loan repayments for up to a year. Banks would also be able to restructure those loans without having to set aside extra reserves, according to Bloomberg, which cited a source familiar with the private talks.
Other measures being considered include subsidised working capital loans through state-backed microfinance institutions.
Officials are also discussing temporary tax holidays, reduced simplified tax rates, and access to storage space at facilities operated by Russian Post and other logistics hubs.
Keeping storage capacity outside Russia is another option, one person told Bloomberg.
No final decision has been made on which measures, if any, will be introduced.
The discussions follow a series of Ukrainian drone strikes that began last month and targeted warehouses operated by Wildberries.
More than a dozen facilities, from southern Russia to the Urals, have been affected.
The attacks have killed several people and injured dozens more.
According to Russian media estimates based on expert analysis, Wildberries has lost at least 17% of its warehouse capacity.
Sellers on the platform have suffered losses of nearly Rbs280bn ($3.5bn), according to those estimates. The figure does not include losses incurred by Wildberries itself.
The Russian Government’s press service did not immediately respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment on the possible rescue package.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier said the government remained in close contact with the company as it assessed the situation.
The issue has been made more pressing by a change in liability rules introduced shortly before the attacks.
Weeks earlier, Wildberries and rival Ozon IPJSC shifted responsibility for force majeure losses, including drone strikes, to sellers.
Last year, Wildberries processed merchandise worth nearly 3% of Russia’s gross domestic product.
Wildberries has offered limited voluntary compensation, but the scale of the losses has prompted the government to look at broader support for affected merchants.
Last week, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak instructed ministries to prepare support proposals for Wildberries sellers whose goods were damaged in drone attacks on the company’s logistics hubs.
The proposals are due by 10 August 2026.
Wildberries has also introduced additional measures for affected merchants.
These include automatic three-month payment holidays on loans issued by WB Bank and WB Finance.
Separately, Izvestia reported last week that the company had suspended its investment programme, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.
