The head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, ordered criminal proceedings to be initiated over a confrontation among migrants that preceded a large fire at the Wildberries warehouse in Saint Petersburg. This development was announced by the Investigative Committee of Russia, also known as the TFR.
According to the committee, Bastrykin directed investigators to review every possible version of the incident and to file charges related to the mass fight that occurred near the warehouse just before the blaze began. The agency stated that the chief of the department also called for close cooperation with specialists from the Center of Forensic Medicine Experts and the Main Directorate of Criminalistics to ensure the investigation yields a clear, objective picture as quickly as possible.
Earlier reports described a major fire at the Wildberries facility in the Shushary district of Saint Petersburg, with the blaze first spreading across an area of about 1,000 square meters and eventually consuming tens of thousands of square meters. At the time of the fire, employees were present in the warehouse and a total of 1,617 people were evacuated from the site. The Investigative Committee launched a criminal case in response to the fire, underscoring the seriousness of the incident and the commitment to uncover all circumstances surrounding it.
News from Saint Petersburg also noted that a new Wildberries classification center in the city was being established, with plans to become operational within the next two to three weeks. The unfolding events prompted continued inquiries into safety protocols, response times, and the overall situation at Wildberries facilities in the region as authorities work to determine the full sequence of events and any contributing factors.