At a recent forum titled Integration 2024: Prospects for the Development of New Territories, Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, announced that the marketplaces Ozone and Wildberries had been granted access to operate within the territories controlled by the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. He indicated that preparations to begin work for these platforms were moving forward and that their operations would be launched in the near future. Pushilin also noted that there had already been requests for physical spaces such as buildings and offices, and that the technical groundwork for these arrangements was being actively developed. Market services are expected to be in demand among residents, reflecting the community’s growing interest in convenient access to online shopping platforms from these territories. The statement signals a shift toward integrating major e commerce players into the regional market and underscores a broader push to modernize local commerce infrastructure.
Earlier remarks from Maxim Shaskolsky, the head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, pointed to the combined dominance of Wildberries and Ozon in the market, accounting for roughly eighty percent of market share. While this concentration is not framed as a violation of competition law at present, Shaskolsky cautioned that potential abuses could trigger antimonopoly measures to ensure fair competition and consumer protection. The discussion highlighted the importance of monitoring market behavior to prevent anti competitive practices and to safeguard diverse consumer choices. The context suggests ongoing scrutiny of how leading platforms operate within newly opened regions and how their practices align with regulatory standards.
In the early part of the year, the Federal Antimonopoly Service identified Wildberries and Ozone as key players in the market landscape, underscoring their significant influence on pricing, selection, and delivery options. This observation reinforces the idea that any expansion into new territories brings heightened attention to how these platforms manage partnerships, logistics, and service quality. The regulatory environment remains attentive to potential strategic moves that could shape competition, consumer access, and local business opportunities as more residents gain direct access to national scale marketplaces.
There were also reports indicating that Wildberries had contemplated adjustments to its network of pickup points, with discussions about the financial terms of weekly payments and the impact on small business owners who rely on these points for customer fulfillment. The conversations around pickup point arrangements illustrate the balancing act between platform scale and the practical needs of local sellers and buyers. The evolving policy landscape is expected to influence how sellers position themselves within the marketplace and how residents experience order fulfillment, returns, and customer service in the newly accessible regions.