Husband of Russia’s Wealthiest Woman Arrested for Murder After Shootout

The estranged husband of Tatyana Bakalchuk, the wealthiest woman in Russia and CEO of retail behemoth Wildberries, was apprehended on Thursday. He faces serious charges that include murder, following a violent armed raid at the company’s Moscow headquarters.

Just a day prior to the incident, Tatyana released a heartfelt message, revealing that her husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk, whom she is in the process of divorcing, had orchestrated the armed invasion of their offices.

Vladislav’s legal team confirmed via a statement on his social media account that he had been “detained for 48 hours.” In addition to murder, he faces charges of attempted murder, assault of a law enforcement officer, and vigilantism.

The chaos at Wildberries’ offices resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including a security guard, and took place mere streets away from the Kremlin.

This shocking event occurred just weeks after a significant merger deal involving Wildberries, which Vladislav openly criticized. The situation escalated when Ramzan Kadyrov, a powerful leader from Chechnya, expressed his intent to intervene against the merger.

Vladislav, claiming he was en route to a “pre-agreed meeting to settle a corporate conflict,” suggests that staff members inside the office were the ones who opened fire first, as reported by Reuters.

Tatyana, however, refuted her husband’s assertions, labeling them as “absurd.” She emphasized that there had been no consent for any negotiations between them.

In a poignant appeal, she questioned, “Vladislav, what are you doing? How are you going to look in the eyes of your parents and our children?”

Wildberries stands as Russia’s largest online retailer. Tatyana Bakalchuk founded the enterprise in 2004, transforming it from a simple online clothing reseller into a significant marketplace for an array of products, according to reports from Reuters.

In 2021, Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index ranked her as the 40th richest woman globally and recognized her as the first self-made female billionaire from Russia.

While Tatyana Bakalchuk retains majority ownership of the company, her estranged husband holds a mere one-percent stake.