Kazakhstan urges businesses to weigh risks after attacks on Wildberries

Kazakhstan's Minister of Trade and Integration, Arman Shakkaliyev, has urged businesses to assess potential risks following recent attacks on Wildberries warehouses in Russia and, where possible, to make greater use of domestic e-commerce platforms.

Speaking at a press conference, Shakkaliyev said entrepreneurs should carefully evaluate the situation when choosing sales channels, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

“The key recommendation for all entrepreneurs is to assess the risks, taking the current situation into account,” he said.

The minister also encouraged businesses to prioritise Kazakhstani online marketplaces, while acknowledging that companies ultimately choose the platforms that best suit their commercial interests.

“At the same time, as Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, I always say that we should use our domestic marketplaces,” he said.

Shakkaliyev said the ministry does not yet have information on the scale of losses suffered by Kazakh sellers as a result of the attacks on Wildberries' facilities in Russia and cautioned against relying on unverified reports circulating online.

“The ministry advises against trusting speculation on social media.”

He added that neither the ministry nor Wildberries currently has definitive data on the impact of the incidents.

“At present, neither we nor, I believe, Wildberries itself has any definitive figures, because, as you can see, the situation is evolving and changes are taking place every day,” Shakkaliyev said.

“Like any incident of this scale, it requires investigation and assessment. And only official sources, including the marketplace itself, can provide reliable, verified information,” he added.

The minister also said Wildberries is constructing approximately 260,000 square metres of warehouse space in Kazakhstan, with the facilities expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2027.

By Sabina Mammadli