Russia silent on corporate shootout at e-retailer Wildberries
Al Jazeera
The city street shootout at the company, owned by Russia’s richest woman, harks back to the chaotic 1990s.
Moscow is remaining silent on a deadly shootout last week at the Moscow office of Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries.
The Kremlin spokesman on Monday refused to comment. The gun battle in a street in the centre of the Russian capital, which left two people dead and seven injured, is reminiscent of the chaotic 1990s, when the country’s emergence from communism was marked by violent struggles over economic resources.
“We do not think it is for us to comment on this topic,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked for comment on the case, which has links to a regional strongman who is a loyal supporter of President Vladimir Putin’s regime.
“These events are now being investigated. This is being dealt with by law enforcement,” the spokesman said. “The actual process of merging companies is also outside our remit. These are business processes that do not require us to comment.”
The dispute centres around Wildberries’ founder and majority shareholder Tatyana Bakalchuk. Russia’s richest woman recently decided to merge the company with outdoor advertising firm Russ Group.
