Ozon launches warehouse leasing platform: from 5,000 sqm ready-built,…

Ahead of the Sept. 18–20 State Duma vote, United Russia launched an election monitoring center on Sept. 17; Vedomosti also reported governors urging citizens to vote. The move signals the campaign shifting from messaging to operational mode after Putin's pre-election address.

Vedomosti reports that applications for remote electronic voting have risen 1.5 times over five years. The system has been used repeatedly in Moscow and other regions; the growth indicates wider adoption, though transparency and cybersecurity concerns remain.

Vedomosti reports that Russian ministers took part in G20 energy ministerial events in Houston. The US had earlier invited Russia; against a backdrop of tense relations, energy remains one of the few areas with limited official contact.

The US House passed a new sanctions bill against Russia in the early hours of Sept. 17. Russian media had reported on Sept. 13 that the bill would be considered on Sept. 14. The House passage signals further escalation of sanctions tools; next steps in the Senate and White House response matter.

Early on Sept. 17 Donald Trump made several high-profile statements: he said the conflict with Iran would «soon end» and threatened to stop trade with the EU over the Canada issue. The first may signal expectations of de-escalation; the second continues his hard trade line toward Europe.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Russia is negotiating with Japan and South Korea to resume direct flights. Services were suspended due to the pandemic and subsequent restrictions; resumption would primarily support business and tourist traffic and load Far Eastern airports.

On Sept. 17 Vladimir Putin chaired an economic meeting at which he announced a federal budget surplus, falling inflation, GDP growth this year, unemployment close to historic lows, and described the budget oil-price assumption as «conservative but reliable». It is one of the key autumn meetings ahead of the budget season.

RBC reports that the price of Russia's main export crude, Urals, has exceeded $110 per barrel. High prices improve export revenues and budget receipts but also increase price pressure on the domestic fuel market, a key backdrop for current energy policy.

RBC and Gazeta.Ru report that German diesel prices at filling stations hit a record high. Europe's fuel crisis continues: France and Germany had earlier declared full mobilization over energy problems. The new diesel record will further hit European industrial and logistics costs.

Gazeta.Ru reports that the Central Bank of Russia has filed a lawsuit with the EU Court of Justice against the EU Council, challenging sanctions decisions. It is the first time a Russian state body has directly appealed to the European judicial system over sanctions; the ruling could matter for the legal boundaries of Russia-EU financial confrontation.

Early on Sept. 17 air defenses shot down at least two drones heading for Moscow; Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports temporarily introduced coordinated flight restrictions before returning to normal. The drone-threat-to-flight-restriction pattern is becoming a regular risk for Moscow aviation.

Gazeta.Ru reports that a civilian was killed in a drone attack in Belgorod region on Sept. 17. The region has been under drone attacks for several consecutive days; civilian casualties keep pressure on the security situation in the border regions.

Ministry of Education and Science data show the number of foreign students in Russian universities rose 25% over five years. As Western countries restrict educational exchange, Russia is using education exports as a soft-power tool; the share of students from CIS, Asian and African countries continues to rise.

The Defense Ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that early on Sept. 17 air defenses destroyed at least two drones heading for Moscow over Moscow region; no ground casualties were reported. It continues a series of Moscow air-defense activations over the past week.

Overnight and during the day on Sept. 17, Ukrainian drones carried out large-scale attacks on Kursk, Rostov, Lipetsk, Bryansk, Voronezh and other southern and central Russian regions. Some civilian facilities and homes were damaged, with temporary flight restrictions and evacuations in several places. Russia says it intercepted most drones, but falling debris continues to cause local damage.

OpenAI published a report disclosing six safety incidents involving its models, including generating false information and being induced to bypass restrictions. The case has renewed debate over safety evaluation methods for large AI systems and mechanisms for public disclosure of such incidents.

Google's DeepMind announced a dedicated research institute for the safe development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The focus will be on alignment, controllability and risk assessment. This resonates with OpenAI's incident disclosure the same day and shows AI safety rising on the industry's agenda.

RIA Novosti reports that Russian scientists have developed a method to increase wheat yields; trials were conducted in Krasnodar Krai and Kaliningrad Oblast. Yield improvement has long-term significance for Russia's grain exports and food security strategy.

On 17 September Ozon launched an online platform where landlords and developers can offer warehouse space for lease or build-to-suit development: from 5,000 sqm for ready buildings and 10,000–85,000 sqm for new construction, with monthly payments indexed annually and all operations and technical fit-out handled by Ozon. Nine applications for existing sites are already live (Bryansk, Vladimir, Irkutsk regions) plus requests to build across seven regions by 2028 (Samara, Krasnodar Krai, Dagestan); 3PL operators will be added later to handle receiving, sorting and returns. What it means for Chinese sellers: the warehouse rebuild is now open to outside supply, so FBO capacity and coverage should recover through 2027–2028 and today’s abnormal FBS share should ease — but do not expect capacity to come back quickly.

On 17 September RWB spokesman Dmitry Borshchevsky told Radio RBC that the small sums some sellers received are unrelated to compensation for affected sellers and do not replace it — they are leftover balances in a feature sellers no longer use. He acknowledged that some operations in the Seller Balance system were hit by technical issues, including the aftermath of DDoS attacks, with funds safe but released only after procedures complete. Sellers report payouts arriving out of order; RWB previously said it completed two tranches covering 88,000+ and 97,000+ entrepreneurs. What it means for Chinese sellers: routine payouts and incident compensation are separate tracks — do not mistake a small credit for a payout; with the cycle stretched, stress-test cash flow week by week.

On 17 September the government approved an updated Customs Service Development Strategy to 2030: border truck inspection time falls from 35–50 minutes to 10, automated customs operations must reach 100% by 2030, and from 2027 new or rebuilt border posts must include electronic inspection and X-ray image analysis. To speed turnover, control shifts to the post-release stage, with more electronic filing and risk-based automated targeting, plus incentives to obtain AEO status (priority clearance, no security payment). Lawyers Tatyana Kofanova and Vildan Kutlubaev warn that release gets faster but post-release audits become more frequent and deeper, raising the risk of duty assessments long after import. What it means for Chinese sellers: border times improve, but documents, classification and declared value must be traceable — do not trade compliance files for speed.

On 17 September EEC Board Chairman Bakytzhan Sagintayev said at an EAEU–SCO roundtable in Beijing that the free trade agreement with Indonesia is going through ratification and is expected to enter into force by the end of the year. The deal was signed in December 2025; EEC Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev earlier said tariff cuts would cover around 3 billion dollars of bilateral trade in absolute terms. What it means for Chinese sellers: Indonesian goods will enter the EAEU at lower duty, adding a competing supply line in Russia — recalculate landed cost and pricing early in furniture, textiles, footwear and apparel, and food.

On 17 September First Deputy PM Denis Manturov said at a subcommission on uninterrupted operation of key industries that industrial resilience is becoming part of cost, and the government and regions must help business compensate spending — tied to confirmed investment in physical protection, backup of critical equipment and logistics, and restoration of damaged sites. Entrepreneurs have submitted proposals for regulatory and tax relief. What it means for Chinese sellers: if the mechanism materialises, part of the rise in storage and sorting fees from platforms and 3PLs would be offset — but for now it is a statement without amounts, criteria or an application route.

On 17 September Putin signed a decree extending the food embargo introduced in 2014 through 2027–2028 (it previously ran to 31 December 2026). It covers the US, EU, Australia, Norway and Canada, plus Albania, Montenegro, Iceland and Liechtenstein since 2015, Ukraine since 2016, the UK since 2020 and New Zealand since September 2024. Banned categories include meat and meat products, milk and dairy, fish and fish products, vegetables and fruit, and since October 2017 live pigs (except purebred breeding stock), offal and animal fat. Goods from sanctioning countries are subject to destruction on import; transit requires GLONASS seals and driver registration coupons. What it means for Chinese sellers: the Western food gap stays closed longer, keeping substitution room in Russian online for Chinese food, pet food and baby food — but origin paperwork and transit rules get stricter.

On the evening of 17 September Putin signed a decree placing 31 companies under temporary management, including Nestle Russia, Nestle Kuban, FM Logistic Vostok, FM Logistic Rus, Auchan and Lemana Pro (formerly Leroy Merlin), with Moscow-registered L.E.V. Management appointed as interim manager. FM Logistic operates 25 warehouse complexes totalling 865,000 sqm in Russia and handles 830,000 transport operations a year; Auchan runs 230 stores in 100 cities with H1 2026 turnover down 2.5% to RUB 127bn; Lemana Pro has 112 stores in 66 cities, 27.2% of the DIY market, with 2025 turnover down 6% to RUB 550bn. Lawyer Sergey Alimirzoev notes temporary management is not confiscation and is formally reversible, but in practice it precedes a sale, typically closing in six to eight months. Infoline values Lemana Pro at RUB 300–350bn, Nestle at 160–170bn and Auchan at 60–70bn. What it means for Chinese sellers: FM Logistic is a major contract logistics provider, so 3PL pricing and contract stability are uncertain during interim management; if Auchan and Lemana Pro change hands, payment terms, listing fees and shelf conditions will need renegotiation.

A joint study by Adgasm and Furniture Communication Project finds that in January–June 2026 marketplaces lifted their share of Russian furniture revenue by 7 pp year on year to 37%, offline fell 8 pp to 47%, and producers’ own web stores rose 1 pp to 16%; the agencies expect marketplaces to reach 40% by year-end. AKIT president Artyom Sokolov says furniture and home goods led first-half online sales at 15.8% of the online market, worth RUB 1.13tn, up 16.7% year on year. Wildberries reports furniture sales up 33% in H1; Yandex Market says kitchen furniture grew most, 1.2x. Furniture association head Timur Irtuganov warns that platform pricing often forces near-zero markups and bulky-item storage is costly. What it means for Chinese sellers: standardised economy furniture still moves volume on platforms, but commission plus storage eats margin — price in volumetric weight and warehouse cost before listing.

On 17 September a TASS correspondent found the iPhone 18 Pro Max on sale at Moscow’s Gorbushka market a day ahead of the global launch (18 September), priced RUB 550,000–900,000 depending on storage (about USD 6,534–10,692). On 16 September four units sold at RUB 900,000 each; display units are dummies and boxes come out only on a real purchase. Sellers expect prices to settle at RUB 350,000–400,000 as supply builds. Apple’s first foldable, iPhone Duo, launches 23 October. What it means for Chinese sellers: launch premiums in Russia are extreme, giving parallel imports and 3C accessory sellers a clear window — but from 1 October a listing needs a certificate or declaration of conformity under the platform law.

Overnight on 17 September the US House passed a bill tightening sanctions on Russia, 262 to 159 (the Senate approved it on 7 August), sending it to Donald Trump for signature. It authorises secondary tariffs of up to 100% on countries that keep buying Russian oil and gas, plus tougher Iran sanctions. RSPP vice president Alexander Murychev told RBC TV that the main pressure is not on Russian companies but on partners — China, India and even Europeans still buying Russian oil and gas — who will look to minimise risk. Business has adapted, but reworking logistics, payments and partner ties is troublesome, costly and time-consuming. What it means for Chinese sellers: if signed, China–Russia customs and payment corridors will likely be rerouted again — prepare a second logistics route and payout channel in advance.

The Central Bank’s official rates effective 18 September: USD 84.5093 (up 33.61 kopecks from the 17 September set of 84.1732), EUR 97.4984 (up 37.09 kopecks), CNY 12.5788 (up 3.31 kopecks) — the ruble weakened against all three. What it means for Chinese sellers: the buffer between CNY purchase cost and RUB retail price shrinks, so re-check ruble price tags; with the ruble weakening, be more careful about the timing of converting proceeds.

On 17 September the Central Bank reported that Russia’s international reserves rose USD 4.7bn between 4 and 11 September to USD 758.2bn. At an economic meeting the same day, Putin said annual inflation had slowed to 6.2% as of 14 September and is under control, with the government projecting a 2027 budget deficit of about 2% of GDP. What it means for Chinese sellers: the numbers do not change day-to-day operations, but inflation above 6% plus a weak ruble means shoppers are less tolerant of price rises — move prices in small steps.