Vladislav Bakalchuk, the estranged husband of Tatyana Bakalchuk, Russia's richest woman, was arrested and charged with murder on Thursday following a fatal shootout at the Moscow office of Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer.
The incident occurred blocks from the Kremlin, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to seven others, including police officers.
The violent confrontation unfolded amid a heated business dispute over Wildberries' future. Tatyana Bakalchuk, who founded the e-commerce giant in 2004, is currently involved in a contentious divorce from Vladislav, which began in July.
The conflict intensified after Wildberries announced a June merger with Russ Group, an outdoor advertising firm, to form RVB, a new company.
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This merger significantly reduced Tatyana's stake from 99% in Wildberries to 65% in RVB, sparking a power struggle between the couple.
Both Vladislav and Tatyana blame each other for Wednesday’s deadly incident. Vladislav claims he arrived at the Wildberries office for a scheduled meeting when staff allegedly fired first. Conversely, Tatyana accused Vladislav of attempting to seize control of the office without any prior meeting planned.
Vladislav’s lawyers have condemned his arrest and the charges of murder and attempted murder of a law enforcement officer as an “unprecedented violation” of his rights. Meanwhile, Tatyana criticized Vladislav’s actions in a tearful message on Telegram, questioning how he could allow the situation to escalate to such extremes.
The dispute has drawn attention from high-profile figures, including Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who criticized the merger as an “asset grab.”
Despite Tatyana’s dismissal of these claims, the Kremlin has confirmed that President Vladimir Putin supports the merger, though he will not interfere with the ongoing conflict.
