MOSCOW: The Kremlin declined to comment on a deadly shootout last week at the Moscow office of Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer.
The incident, which occurred just a few blocks from the Kremlin, resulted in two fatalities and left seven others injured, including police officers. Dozens of people were detained after the incident.
The violence stems from a dispute involving Tatyana Bakalchuk, the founder and majority shareholder of Wildberries, who is also Russia’s richest woman.
The conflict escalated over her decision to merge Wildberries with the outdoor advertising firm Russ Group. Her estranged husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk, opposed the merger and claimed his attempts to communicate with Tatyana were ignored.
Each party has blamed the other for the shooting. Vladislav, who insists he approached the office with peaceful intentions, was detained for 48 hours last week. Tatyana, who previously announced her divorce, stated on Monday that she would revert to using her maiden name, Kim.
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While the Kremlin indicated in July that President Vladimir Putin supported the merger, it claimed not to have interfered in the process. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “We do not think it is for us to comment on this topic. These events are now being investigated, and law enforcement is handling the situation. The actual process of merging companies is also outside our remit. These are business processes that do not require us to comment.”
In June, Forbes Russia reported that Maxim Oreshkin, deputy head of the presidential administration, had been assigned to oversee the merger’s implementation, according to a letter.
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