Wildberries and Ozon, two of Russia’s largest online marketplaces, wrote sellers out of compensation for war damage

Russian e-commerce platform Ozon has revised its seller agreement to specify that the company will not compensate sellers for goods lost or damaged due to military action, a state of emergency, shelling, mass unrest, or “other similar circumstances.”Bestseller, Ozon’s marketplace media outlet, reported the change on June 11, but Russian media outlets and Telegram channels did not pick up on it until July 18 — after Ukrainian drones struck warehouses belonging to the online retailer Wildberries in the Moscow and Tambov regions.The revised terms took effect on June 12. Under the updated agreement, sellers assume the business risk and release Ozon from any claims stemming from, among other things:Combat, military, or defense operationsMartial lawMass unrestThe launch, use, impact, hit, or fall of unmanned aerial vehicles for any purposeWeapons fire of any kindIn early July, Wildberries similarly added a clause to its seller agreement freeing the marketplace from liability if it fails to meet its obligations during a drone attack. Those terms took effect on July 7.On July 18, Wildberries chief executive Tatyana Kim, commenting on the drone strikes that hit the marketplace’s warehouses, reminded sellers that the company is not obligated to compensate them for lost goods but added that the marketplace is “working out” how much to pay sellers and what other financial support it might offer.50B rubles in damage, up to 15% of its warehouse space, and a contract clause that shifts the loss onto small vendors: inside Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s online retail giant, Wildberries50B rubles in damage, up to 15% of its warehouse space, and a contract clause that shifts the loss onto small vendors: inside Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s online retail giant, WildberriesAt Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.