Tatyana Bakalchuk, the wealthiest woman in Russia, found her company, Wildberries, at the center of a violent corporate raid in Moscow on Wednesday. The incident resulted in two fatalities and seven injuries, including two police officers, at the offices of Wildberries, often dubbed as the Russian equivalent of Amazon, according to reports by Reuters. Following the raid, Vladislav Bakalchuk, Tatyana's estranged husband, was arrested and charged with serious crimes, including murder and attempted murder, as his lawyers condemned the accusations as "absurd."

The turmoil unfolded amidst a divorce battle between Tatyana Bakalchuk and Vladislav Bakalchuk, triggered by disagreements over the direction of Wildberries, the online retail empire Tatyana established back in 2004. Vladislav, who publicly opposed merging Wildberries with the advertising company Russ and demanded half the company in case of divorce, was granted a 1% stake in Wildberries by Tatyana in 2019. Notably, Tatyana Bakalchuk, originally an English teacher, rose to become the first self-made female billionaire in Russia, commanding an empire with significant influence in the country's e-commerce sector.

The tension escalated as Tatyana accused her husband of leading an armed incursion at the Wildberries headquarters in central Moscow, resulting in a violent confrontation that shook the bustling neighborhood near the Kremlin. Vladislav's legal team claimed the armed raid was an attempt to settle business disputes through a pre-arranged meeting, a claim vehemently dismissed by Tatyana Bakalchuk as she refuted any scheduled negotiation. The aftermath of the raid saw the detention of approximately 30 individuals involved in the incident, as reported by RadioFreeEurope. Tatyana Bakalchuk, in a poignant video message on Telegram, questioned her husband's actions, calling attention to the tragic consequences of the shootout and appealing for accountability in the unfolding chaos.