Vladislav Bakalchuk, the estranged husband of the richest woman in Russia, was arrested today on charges of murder, according to his lawyers, following a shooting at the headquarters of Russia’s largest online retailer in Moscow.
Two people were killed yesterday in a shooting just a few blocks from the Kremlin, at Wildberries offices, as a dispute over the company’s future took a violent turn. Seven others were injured, including police officers.
Vladislav and his wife, Tatiana Bakalchuk, who have seven children, filed for divorce in July and have been involved in a bitter public dispute since Wildberries announced plans to merge with the Russ Group outdoor advertising conglomerate in June. Tatiana Bakalchuk owns 99% of Wildberries, while her husband Vladislav Bakalchuk holds 1%. Tatiana founded Wildberries in 2004, which was seen as Russia’s answer to Amazon, and grew it from an online clothing reseller to a major online marketplace for all kinds of goods.
Wildberries operates in several former Soviet countries and claims to handle over 10 million orders per day. Tatiana Bakalchuk, 48, has a net worth estimated by Forbes at $7.9 billion (€7.08 billion). Both parties have accused each other of being responsible for the shooting yesterday.
Vladislav said he arrived at the company’s offices for a pre-arranged meeting and that the first shots were fired by office staff. Tatiana said Vladislav and his associates tried to take over the office and that no meeting was scheduled. Vladislav’s lawyers stated that he was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder of a police officer, which they claimed was a “flagrant and unprecedented violation” of their client’s rights.
The business dispute revolves around the merger that created RVB, a new company with Robert Mirzoian as CEO, which reduced Tatiana’s total stake to about 65% in RVB from 99% in Wildberries.
Vladislav had previously claimed that his wife was being “manipulated.” Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who intervened to support Vladislav, described the merger as an “asset grab.” Tatiana dismissed both claims. The Kremlin stated that the merger has received President Vladimir Putin’s support but would not interfere in its progress.
In a recorded message posted on Telegram early today, Tatiana said: “Vladislav, what are you doing? How will you look your parents and our children in the eye? How could you bring the situation to such madness?” The case harks back to the 1990s, when deadly corporate battles were common as vast swathes of property were redistributed following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
