The Authorities "screwed Over" Belarusian Wildberries Sellers
- 26.08.2026, 19:43
The mode completely ignores the problem.
In early August, Belarusian sellers on Russian marketplaces appealed to the Belarusian authorities for help. In Russia, the government approved support measures for entrepreneurs affected by drone attacks on Wildberries warehouses. The measures are so-so—more of a gesture of sympathy than anything else. But the Belarusians haven’t even received that yet. So what have they received? The website planbmedia.io asked this very question.
As for the rest, my dear Marquise…
Not much. While official authorities are completely ignoring the problem—at least publicly—propagandists are becoming the voice of the government.
There are several narratives. First, Ukraine is having an even harder time. So, dear sellers, they’ll avenge you. That’s where the good news ends for the propagandists. There is no protection for the warehouses, and none is expected.
“Most likely, both operators will end up dispersing their former large facilities. Of course, this will be expensive, but not more expensive than rebuilding the burned-down complexes and paying insurance for the goods,” — writes the author of the controversial “Minskaya Pravda.”
He also claims that it is impossible to completely destroy Wildberries and Ozon. He argues, “Goods will be picked up from the seller’s warehouse, apartment, or garage and delivered to the buyer. Logistics costs will rise, but the risks will be lower. This model is called FBS, where the seller stores, labels, and packages the goods themselves, and then drops them off at the nearest pickup point.”
In addition to price increases (significant increases!), this model also sharply reduces delivery speed—a key advantage of well-known marketplaces. Russian experts have calculated that prices will rise by an average of 10–30% (with a forecast of an additional 15% in the near future). Delivery times are increasing to 10 days, and in the near future—two weeks.
The propagandist advises buying complex Chinese electronics on Belarusian platforms or directly from the manufacturer. It turns out that warranty repairs for Russian-made industrial products can be carried out in Smolensk. You can even buy goods at TSUM—who’s to argue? And as for it being inconvenient, expensive, or having a limited selection—well, those are just minor inconveniences. “But it’s the new territories that will have a hard time,” he laments, referring to the sad (it’s hard to disagree) fate of the territories occupied by Russia. Who would argue with that? But they’re not the only ones.
The sheriff isn’t interested in Black people’s problems
So what about the sellers who’ve lost their merchandise? “Sellers have few options: either accept the losses or file lawsuits—most likely under Russian law.” So there’s no hope for help or leniency from their own government.
“For the government, this is a lesson that e-commerce is not a magic bullet and will not replace traditional stores. We also need an additional mechanism to protect our sellers in Russia,” the author concludes.
All in all, it’s just a matter of everyday life. There’s nothing more to say. And the lesson isn’t that we need to choose our allies more carefully or that we shouldn’t help attack our neighbors—it’s that a common market with an aggressor and an unstable partner is fraught with enormous losses. The lesson is simply that e-commerce is no magic bullet.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ strikes on marketplaces continue. The resilience of the latter now depends entirely on the state’s plans and appetites. According to a recent decree by Putin, the state can either take any problematic asset under its wing or send it to hell. That is, it can nationalize it, or use budget funds to fix it and bring it back online. This depends on the owner’s identity and the nature of their ownership. But Belarusians stand to gain nothing from this situation.
Both small and large sellers, for whom the Russian marketplace model was successful, must now reinvent their businesses. It won’t be possible to keep it running as before simply by storing inventory in your garage and shipping it at a slow pace across the vast expanse of Russia. The costs are too high—both actual and potential.