Wildberries seller with 1.3 million Instagram followers appeals to Russian authorities for help after Ukrainian strikes

Key Points:

• Entrepreneur Marina Gorshkova, founder of a cosmetics brand with 1.3 million Instagram followers, appealed to Russian authorities regarding the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Wildberries warehouses, highlighting the severe consequences for small and medium-sized businesses.
• Gorshkova emphasized that many sellers, including herself, have paid substantial taxes and warned that business closures would halt tax revenues, urging for government intervention to prevent widespread economic fallout.
• Instead of compensation, she proposed tax exemptions for Wildberries sellers for at least a year and requested banks to offer loan payment holidays to help businesses recover and maintain financial stability.
• Gorshkova also called for oversight of Wildberries' fulfillment of obligations, noting her inability to retrieve merchandise from the affected warehouses, and stressed the broader social impact, including potential job losses and housing insecurity.
• Since July 18, Ukraine has targeted Wildberries logistics centers and warehouses across multiple Russian regions, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and occupied Crimea, intensifying the crisis for marketplace sellers.