Russia E-commerce Intelligence
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Day at a glance5 items · about 1 min read
On 19 September Russia's State Duma election entered its second day. CEC head Pamfilova reported 22 criminal cases, 250 invalidated ballots in Oryol region, and over 300 incident reports to the Interior Ministry; nationwide turnout was around 25-30%.
The Digital Development Ministry said that as of 21:45 on 19 September, the federal remote e-voting platform had recorded over 2.8 million votes, with turnout at 70%. Smolensk, Novgorod and Mari El were among the top regions.
The head of Moscow's city election commission said the remote e-voting system came under a cyberattack on the first day of voting, 18 September, but continued to operate normally.
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned UK chargé d'affaires Deyni Dolakia to protest London's continued supplies of drones and weapons to Kiev, saying it escalates the conflict and delays a political settlement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may hold a detailed discussion on Ukraine on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
NATO said it is prepared for a possible conflict on Europe's eastern flank. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia will not send soldiers to fight Russia and will not deploy troops to Ukraine.
At a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission, Putin said output of strike weapons and ammunition has risen 22-fold since the SMO began. He named strengthening the nuclear triad, improving air defence, and developing drones and precision weapons as top priorities of the new state arms program.
Putin took part by video link in the signing ceremony for a contract to supply and lease 90 MS-21-310 aircraft to Aeroflot. Deliveries are planned for 2029-2032, and the government will subsidise preferential loans for airlines and lessors.
A Rosoboronexport vice-chairman said the portfolio of foreign orders for Russian arms has exceeded USD 70 billion, with traditionally friendly countries remaining the main buyers.
The Central Bank of Russia set official exchange rates for 19 September: USD 84.1975, EUR 96.6671, CNY 12.5670. The ruble edged stronger against the dollar and euro and was virtually flat against the yuan.
The Russian government signed a decree on public holidays for 2027. The New Year holidays will last 11 days, from 31 December 2026 to 10 January 2027.
Rospotrebnadzor in Tatarstan said the number of people poisoned after visiting the NAN Kebab No. 1 cafe in Kazan has risen to 60, with salmonella detected in 22 of them. The cafe has been sealed and the Investigative Committee opened a case.
Rosatom said that on 17 September a Ukrainian drone detonated after hitting the cooling tower of Kursk NPP-2 unit 1. Damage was minor and the plant continues at 100% capacity. The IAEA confirmed it received information and called on all sides to exercise restraint.
On the evening of 19 September, a collision involving three cars in Domodedovo, Moscow region, killed three people. The circumstances are under investigation.
The Defence Ministry said air defences have destroyed 328 Ukrainian drones since the morning of Friday, 19 September. Several waves of drones were also intercepted overnight, including in the direction of Moscow.
The Russian Justice Ministry added film director Andrei Zvyagintsev, a Cannes Film Festival laureate, to the register of foreign agents. The ministry cited his involvement in producing content for foreign agents and undesirable organisations.
Day at a glance5 items · about 1 min read
At 00:49 MSK on 19 September Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026: goods shipped directly from Russia keep a maximum tariff rate of 500%, while the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas plus five states most active in helping circumvent sanctions face secondary tariffs of up to 100%. Gas importers are exempt if they account for less than 15% of Russia’s annual gas exports and are demonstrably cutting purchases. The House passed the bill 262-159 on 17 September and the Senate 86-11 on 7 August; most key sanctions and tariffs must be imposed within 30 days of the law taking effect, with the president retaining the right to suspend them on national-security grounds. What it means for Chinese sellers: the real exposure is not "Russia gets taxed" but "China gets taxed" — if secondary tariffs land on Chinese exports to the US, cross-border settlements, dollar channels and total supply-chain cost all get repriced. Use the 30-day window to map your US export exposure and settlement routes.
Kommersant reported at 13:03 on 19 September that the Swiss government will work with Nestle’s top management and use diplomatic channels to return management to the original owners (attributed to Bloomberg). Lawyers interviewed note that foreign companies previously placed under temporary management filed claims against Russia at international investment arbitration, and Swiss shareholders can take the same route — but as long as Switzerland keeps its sanctions, the odds of getting assets back are slim. Temporary management covers 100% of the shares in Nestle Russia and Nestle Kuban; the former posted about RUB 260bn in 2025 revenue, the latter owns Nestle’s largest instant-coffee plant in the world (Krasnodar Krai). What it means for Chinese sellers: Nestle is a price anchor and major traffic driver in food categories; if the standoff drags into contract renegotiation, supplier payment terms, rebates and supply stability are all at risk.
Deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Max on 19 September that "it is time to go further from temporary management of foreign assets," invoking early Soviet decrees under which foreign plants and factories "were forcibly and gratuitously seized into state ownership," and naming Nestle and Auchan along with the "wave of panic" among European governments. A day earlier Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring the Russian assets of Auchan, Nestle, FM Logistic and the former Leroy Merlin (Lemana Pro) to temporary management by L.E.V. Management. What it means for Chinese sellers: this is a personal statement and creates no direct legal obligation, but it raises policy uncertainty over asset ownership in Russia — if the rhetoric turns into nationalisation, 3PL rates, warehouse contracts and supplier payment terms could all be renegotiated.
A government decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has been published: from 1 November 2026 regulators will check the business reputation of companies licensed to produce ethyl alcohol (including for pharmaceutical use) and to produce, store and supply alcoholic beverages. Owners, board and executive-body members, directors and chief accountants must not appear on the special list of persons with unsatisfactory business reputation. Wine products are exempt, and the decree also simplifies paperwork for some inspections. What it means for Chinese sellers: alcohol is tightly regulated online in Russia, but supply chains for pharmaceutical alcohol, alcohol-based household chemicals and antiseptics may be affected; if a counterparty appears on the list, shipments and settlements stall.
The French Foreign Ministry said on 19 September that Paris "maintains close contact with the affected companies" whose Russian assets were placed under temporary management. Vladimir Putin’s 17 September decree transferred the Russian assets of French retailer Auchan, Swiss food group Nestle, French logistics group FM Logistic (including warehouse complexes) and the former Russian arm of Leroy Merlin (now Lemana Pro) to L.E.V. Management. What it means for Chinese sellers: FM Logistic is one of the widely used 3PL operators in Russia, while Auchan and Lemana Pro are significant offline and online channels. The dispute has moved into the diplomatic arena, which means management will not be handed back quickly; anyone with storage, delivery or supply contracts with these entities should plan for contract continuity and payment-term risk.
Lithuania’s Customs Committee said on 19 September that scheduled maintenance works from 8:00 to 20:00 will hamper customs IT systems, so truck clearance at the Belarus-Lithuania border may be delayed; cars and buses are processed as usual. What it means for Chinese sellers: this is a supplementary road corridor into Europe beyond the rail route, and delays stack on top of existing border queues; for shipments via Lithuania and Belarus, reschedule or build in a buffer of more than 12 hours rather than pinning delivery promises on this single corridor.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on 19 September that between 08:30 on 12 September and 08:30 on 19 September, 2,022 drones headed toward the Moscow region: most were neutralised on distant approaches and 186 were destroyed near the capital. RBC (23:29) and Kommersant (23:17, doc/8970666) reported the daily tally near Moscow reaching 25. The Moscow region hosts the core warehouses and sorting centres of Ozon, Wildberries and Yandex Market, and earlier attacks already halted shipments and triggered insurance payouts. What it means for Chinese sellers: drone density translates directly into the probability of temporary warehouse closures, sorting stoppages and delivery-time collapses; with FBO stock concentrated around Moscow, raise your SLA expectations for September-October and spread inventory across multiple warehouses.
Beyond tariffs, the law imposes sanctions on senior Russian officials, state bodies, banks, major businessmen, companies and shadow-fleet vessels, restricts investment and financial transactions, and provides for measures on imports of Russian uranium. Most key sanctions and tariffs must be imposed within 30 days of entry into force, with the president retaining suspension rights on national-security grounds; gas importers get a 15% annual export-share exemption threshold. What it means for Chinese sellers: the pain point is settlement, not tariffs — with Russian banks and financial operations further restricted, the cost and timing of ruble payouts, yuan clearing and third-party channels will all fluctuate. Confirm backup routes with your acquirer and settlement partner instead of loading cash flow onto a single channel.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce commented on 19 September on the US passage and signing of the Russia sanctions law: Beijing opposes unilateral restrictions imposed without UN authorisation and without basis in international law, and trades with all countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit; such cooperation is not directed at any third party and must not be subject to interference or coercion by any third party. China has taken note of the law and will closely watch further US actions, "reserving the right to take all necessary measures to firmly protect national sovereignty, development interests and the lawful rights and interests of its enterprises." China is among the largest buyers of Russian oil and therefore a potential target of the secondary tariffs. What it means for Chinese sellers: Beijing does not accept the legitimacy of secondary tariffs, but Washington may publish a concrete list within 30 days; anyone with both Russian and US exposure should separate customers, goods and funds across the two chains now rather than waiting for the list.
RBC published a photo report on 19 September showing the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on public display for the first time at a Restore store in Moscow, with sales set to start shortly. Earlier, on 17 September, TASS reported that the Pro Max appeared at Moscow’s Gorbushka electronics market a day early, priced at RUB 550,000-900,000, with sellers expecting a drop to RUB 350,000-400,000. New iPhones in Russia have long arrived via parallel imports, and the gap between official and grey channels remains the main arbitrage source in the 3C category. What it means for Chinese sellers: the launch pulls demand for cases, screen films, chargers, magnetic accessories and car mounts — the most predictable accessory wave before Q4. Watch how fast the grey-to-official price gap closes: the margin window on reselling handsets usually lasts only two to three weeks after launch.
Bank of Russia data: a query with date_req=20/09/2026 returns a ValCurs dated 19.09.2026 — USD 84.1975, EUR 96.6671, CNY 12.5670 rubles, i.e. identical to the 19 September set. Official rates are not repriced at weekends and carry over the values set on the previous working day. For comparison, the previous set (set on 18 September, effective 19 September) meant the ruble strengthened across the board: USD -31.18 kopecks, EUR -83.13 kopecks, CNY -1.18 kopecks. What it means for Chinese sellers: weekend settlement gets neither a better nor worse official rate, but over-the-counter and platform rates keep moving; if a contract is pegged to the official CBR rate, state explicitly that no new rate appears at weekends and the next working day applies, otherwise the timing gap is easily mistaken for an FX loss.