Russia’s largest marketplaces, Wildberries and Ozon, have faced a sharp increase in the number of lawsuits filed by sellers following Ukrainian drone strikes on their logistics infrastructure. The Moscow Times reports, according to UNN.
Details
From July 15 to September 15, 599 lawsuits were filed against Wildberries—53.6% more than during the same period last year. Ozon became a defendant in 236 new cases, while the number of lawsuits against the company more than doubled.
A significant share of the claims are being brought by small companies that trade through the marketplaces. Systematic strikes on Wildberries’ logistics facilities began on July 18, while Ozon’s warehouses were targeted on August 25.
Losses estimated at hundreds of billions of rubles
According to an estimate by the International Association for the Development of Marketplaces and Entrepreneurs, more than 400,000 sellers were affected by the attacks, and total losses could have reached 600–800 billion rubles.
The Union of Marketplace Sellers says that entrepreneurs are increasingly demanding compensation for lost goods. During court proceedings, the platforms themselves may invoke force majeure circumstances to avoid payments.
Some claims against Wildberries concern delays in settlements with sellers. According to a survey by the industry union, 95.6% of sellers said they had not received payments for the settlement week from July 27 to August 2. The company attributed the delays to DDoS attacks.