Moscow - Two people were killed in a shooting at the Moscow office of Russian retailer Wildberries on Wednesday, an incident the CEO blamed on a botched takeover attempt by her estranged husband. Wildberries said armed men accompanying Vladislav Bakalchuk, the husband of CEO Tatyana Bakalchuk, illegally entered the company’s office building in central Moscow and opened fire.
Videos on social media showed a scuffle breaking out at the entrance to the office, while gunshots rang out in the background. A man could be seen wielding a handgun in one video. The incident came weeks after Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, finalised a merger deal that Vladislav criticised and that strongman Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov vowed to stop.
“Today a group of people led by Vladislav Bakalchuk, Sergei Anufriev and Vladimir Bakin attempted to seize Wildberries’ offices in Moscow,” said CEO Tatiana Bakalchuk, who is also Russia’s richest woman.
“To my deep regret, as a result of the armed attack on Wildberries, a security guard at our office was killed,” she said. A second guard later died of his wounds, Russian state media reported. Seven people were injured in total, including two law enforcement officers, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.