Kremlin declines comment after fatal shooting at Russia's largest online retailer

MOSCOW – The Kremlin said on Monday it would not comment on the fatal shooting last week at the Moscow office of Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries.

Two people were killed in the shooting a few blocks from the Kremlin. The dispute over the future of the company took a violent turn. Seven other people were injured, including police officers. Dozens were arrested.

At the centre of the dispute is Tatyana Bakalchuk, the founder and majority owner of Wildberries and Russia's richest woman, and her decision to merge the company with the outdoor advertising company Russ Group.

Bakalchuk's estranged husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk, opposed the merger and said his efforts to speak to Tatyana were ignored.

Each side blamed the other for the gun incident. Vladislav, who said he came to the office with peaceful intentions, was detained for 48 hours last week.

Tatjana, who had previously stated that she had filed for divorce, announced on Monday that she would return to her maiden name, Kim.

The Kremlin said in July that it was completing the merger with the support of President Vladimir Putin, but that it had not interfered in the process and would not do so.

“We do not believe it is our job to comment on this issue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday. “These incidents are currently under investigation. Law enforcement agencies are dealing with them.”

“The actual process of the company merger is also outside our jurisdiction. These are business transactions on which we have no obligation to comment.”

Forbes Russia reported in June, citing a letter, that Maxim Oreshkin, deputy head of the presidential administration, had been tasked with overseeing the implementation of the agreement. REUTERS