M.Video reopens sign-ups for own-brand pickup points: 13 regions, at …

The Finance Ministry and related agencies set out how they will detect shadow income among people without formal employment, by comparing declared income with actual consumption and assets, as part of an effort to widen the tax base. Timing and scope need confirmation.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree posthumously awarding a state decoration to a diesel-locomotive assistant driver who died on duty in Crimea.

Unlike the 21 September report that only flagged a planned meeting, on 22 September the meeting took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Zelensky said he discussed an energy truce with Russia; the closed-door part lasted about 40 minutes and he hoped to end the conflict before winter. Moscow has repeatedly said it seeks to remove the root causes rather than temporary truces.

Whereas 21 September reporting said member states had agreed to a three-year extension, on 22 September the extension was formally adopted. The list had previously been renewed every six months; the delisting of individual Russian businessmen was not agreed that day.

US President Donald Trump said he had discussed the terms of a Ukraine settlement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, without disclosing specifics or a timeline.

US President Donald Trump said there would be no direct conflict between Britain and Russia, without explaining the basis for that assessment.

Russia Finance Ministry published an estimate of the scale of domestic crypto-asset operations, and said the same day that there is no material discount in crypto prices inside Russia. The figures and methodology need confirmation.

The Finance Ministry explained how salaries would be paid in digital rubles, the next step in deploying the digital ruble in budget and payroll operations. Timing and scope need confirmation.

Russia proposed extending its national jewelry traceability and oversight system to the EAEU level to create uniform control across the bloc. The timeline and mechanism need confirmation.

The Central Bank said household inflation expectations rose compared with the previous period. The indicator is a key input for rate decisions, and a rise generally argues against further easing. The figures need confirmation.

Russias two largest internet companies, Yandex and VK, are discussing a joint venture combining cloud services and artificial intelligence. The deal structure and timeline have not been disclosed.

The Central Bank said teenagers are increasingly involved in money-muling, lending their bank cards or accounts to move third-party funds. The scale and age breakdown need confirmation.

A rabies case in small ruminants was confirmed in the Moscow region and containment measures were launched. The exact location, herd size and containment zone need confirmation.

Several Russian regions proposed lowering the share of foreign workers locally. The sectors, quotas and effective dates remain to be settled.

Overnight into 22 September, Ukrainian drones attacked Samara region. Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said industrial facilities were the target: one person was killed and four injured, one of whom had surgery and is stable. Kurumoch airport suspended operations for about four hours, delaying 16 flights. The Defense Ministry said 297 drones were downed over Russia that night.

On 22 September a fire broke out at the Solnechny shopping center in Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan; open burning covered about 2,100 sq m. Four women died, three of them sisters aged 29, 33 and 45, two of whom worked at a tailor shop in the mall. Five people were injured, one in intensive care. The preliminary cause was an electrical short circuit; a case was opened under Part 3 of Article 109 of the Russian Criminal Code.

Late on 22 September, restrictions were imposed at Sochi airport affecting arrivals and departures. The duration and cause need confirmation.

Russian engineers have developed a compact wind turbine that operates at wind speeds as low as 0.5 m/s. Magnets hold the rotor, nearly eliminating mechanical friction. A 350 W prototype has been tested; a 1–1.15 kW version is being built, with 2 kW as a longer-term target. Planned uses include off-grid power for weather stations, industrial sites and remote villages. The project made the top 100 of the Strong Ideas for a New Time 2026 forum and became a Skolkovo resident.

An amateur treasure hunter found a gold bracelet in a field, preliminarily dated to about 3,000 years old. The find site, cultural attribution and handover to archaeologists need confirmation.

PJSC M.Video has resumed accepting applications for own-brand pickup points (PVZ) after suspending registration due to a surge in applications. The first wave covers 13 regions: Moscow and the Moscow region, St Petersburg, Samara, Rostov, Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk, Omsk, Kemerovo and Tomsk regions, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan and Krasnodar Krai. There are currently 850 partner PVZ nationwide. Previously M.Video online orders were delivered via third-party pickup networks (including Yandex Market and CDEK) and 5Post lockers. The company plans at least 5,000 own-brand PVZ by year-end. Kommersant also notes the marketplace recorded a record influx of sellers in July, over 1,600 in a month. Impact on Chinese sellers: confirmed impact (only for those already on the platform) - last-mile delivery shifts from third-party networks to the platform own network, and denser pickup points ease self-pickup and returns for large electronics; inference - the expansion intensifies last-mile competition with WB and Ozon; applicability unconfirmed - whether a Russian legal entity is required to join M.Video is something I could not verify.

RWB (Wildberries & Russ) has launched its WB Taxi ride-hailing app in Yerevan, Armenia. At the first stage, employees and partners of Wildberries receive invitations; other users can download the app and join a waiting list, with access expanding gradually. Three tariffs are offered: Standard, Comfort and Multi (searching across several vehicle categories at once). Drivers are promised transparent terms and a reduced aggregator commission. Anatoly Smorgonsky, head of technology development for taxi and transportation at RWB, said the service geography will keep expanding. The service already runs in Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, with the first beta test in Belarus in summer 2025; in April 2026 RWB acquired the Citymobil, Taxovichkof and Gruzovichkof aggregators. Media report a Russian launch is planned for 2026. Impact on Chinese sellers: inference - this is RWB exporting logistics capability abroad, with no direct effect on marketplace sellers day to day; if the service is later tied into WB delivery it could alter last-mile options in Armenia, but there is no official statement and applicability is unconfirmed.

The Russian Labour Ministry has posted a draft government resolution setting the 2027 permissible share of foreign workers on the draft regulations portal, open for public discussion until 6 October. Reductions are proposed in 10 regions: Mordovia, Tatarstan, Chuvashia, Krasnodar Krai, Vologda, Kaluga, Novosibirsk, Orenburg, Sverdlovsk and Tula regions. Eight other regions get sector limits for the first time: Tatarstan proposes a zero share in finance and insurance, veterinary services, security, taxis, hazardous goods transport and repair of computers and personal goods; Kaluga region proposes zero for courier activity and certain transport rental and leasing; Mordovia proposes zero for urban and suburban passenger transport, taxis and road freight. Federally, the ban on migrant labour in pharmacies, non-stationary and market retail remains, along with zero shares in specialised alcohol and tobacco retail. The 2026 settings are kept in 31 regions. The share applies per industry and is enforced company by company, with no trading between employers. Impact on Chinese sellers: confirmed impact (indirect) - 3PL operators and warehouses in Kaluga and Mordovia relying on foreign couriers and drivers will have to rework staffing, and cost may pass through to sellers; applicability unconfirmed - the quota is calculated per Russian employer, and whether it reaches warehouse legal entities owned by Chinese sellers is unclear.

A draft amendment by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development to the consumer protection law would tighten return rules for distance purchases and has drawn objections from several consumer organisations. It would allow whole categories of distance-sold goods to be made non-returnable (the list to be set separately by the government); exclude cancellation of prepaid goods even before receipt; make pickup points subject to the marketplace seller, who could refuse a return; create grounds for charging the consumer delivery costs for goods refused before handover; and shift the risk of accidental loss to the consumer for unattended delivery. OPI, the Moscow Society for Consumer Protection and the Tatarstan Union of Consumers want these clauses revised or dropped. The Ministry told Kommersant the amendments aim to level conditions between marketplaces and their partners. Lawyers cite that 62% of sellers complain about returns and refusal rates in apparel reach 45% (Nargiz Mamazhanova, Intellectual Capital); Alexey Moskalenko notes supplements and sports nutrition cannot be verified at a pickup point after the buyer takes them home, and Wildberries confirmed some categories need extra checks before resale. Impact on Chinese sellers: confirmed impact (if adopted as drafted) - return rates and return handling costs fall, and abuse disputes decline; inference - narrower return rights will depress conversion, so pricing models should be recalculated as lower returns plus lower conversion; applicability unconfirmed - the bill has not been submitted to the Duma, the category list does not exist, and timing is unknown.

Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Sazanov told Vedomosti that the ministry is working on tax deferrals and instalments for Ozon and its sellers mirroring the RWB (Wildberries & Russ) package: the ministry agrees support is needed, while the government sets its scale. He said the Ozon decision is at an advanced stage of elaboration and gave no figures, only noting the budget can bear the shift. The existing RWB measures: for the platform, VAT, profit tax, insurance contributions and related advances falling due from July 2026 to June 2027 are moved to 28 July 2027, payable in equal parts over a year; for RWB sellers, VAT, profit tax, USN/AUSN taxes, insurance contributions and advances due from August 2026 to July 2027 are shifted 12 months, then repaid in equal monthly parts over a year, for legal entities and sole traders whose damage exceeded 5% of annual income. Georgy Bagiryan confirmed industry associations have petitioned the government; Alexey Fedorov puts possible losses in the hundreds of billions of roubles and notes full inventory may take at least six months. Context: Wildberries warehouses have been hit since 18 July and Ozon logistics centres since 22 August (Samara, Orenburg, Krasnodar Krai, Dagestan, Adygea, Stavropol); Data Insight estimated Ozon total damage at RUB 125-170bn, including RUB 89-107bn of destroyed goods, affecting 15-19% of warehouse capacity; on 24 August Ozon shares fell almost 22% by evening. Impact on Chinese sellers: confirmed impact (if adopted and conditions met) - it applies to Ozon sellers with Russian tax status (legal entity or sole trader, including those registered by Chinese sellers) whose damage exceeds 5% of annual income, easing liquidity; applicability unconfirmed - final criteria and coverage of cross-border FBS sellers without Russian tax status have not been published, and I am not certain how it would apply, so plan on a conservative assumption.

Kommersant, citing its own source, reports that Ilya Berdnikov has been appointed CEO of the Auchan Russia retail chain: since December 2024 he has been executive director at Rosimushchestvo, and in 2020-2022 he headed a department at X5. The outlet notes the company press service did not respond promptly and Berdnikov himself could not be reached. The source also says former CEO Asya Balabay keeps her role and continues running the business, with Berdnikov taking oversight. Context: on 17 September Auchan and other large foreign assets were placed under the temporary management of AO L.E.V. Management, registered less than two years ago. Impact on Chinese sellers: unconfirmed. If true, one may infer the interim manager has started placing Rosimushchestvo-background executives into the seized retail assets, which could change counterparties for contract renewals and payment terms; applicability unconfirmed - whether this affects existing supply arrangements between Chinese sellers and Auchan is something I do not know.

A Romir poll conducted in late summer found 56% of Russian consumers oppose legalising online alcohol sales via marketplaces and Russian Post offices, with 24% positive and another 20% leaning positive; opponents are mostly women and consumers over 60. Reasons against: easier access for minors (56%), overall higher consumption (51%), wider availability and normalisation (49%), more counterfeit alcohol online (46%). Supporters cite time savings (45%) and lower prices with wider choice (41%). The direct ban on distance alcohol sales has been in force in Russia since 2007, with attempts to lift it since at least 2014; in 2023 the government drafted a bill for an online Russian wine pilot, but it was not adopted. Market sources told Kommersant there is still no principled decision to legalise. AKIT president Artyom Sokolov says companies have the technology for controlled sales and notes that about 10% of global alcohol sales are already online. Impact on Chinese sellers: inference - alcohol will not become an operable marketplace category any time soon, so do not build assortment or inventory plans around legalisation; applicability unconfirmed - even if a pilot starts, it will most likely be limited to Russian wine, and whether imported alcohol is included is unknown.

Rosstat data: in August 2026 the average retail price of chilled and frozen chicken in Russia was RUB 263.6 per kg, up 15.8% y/y - the sharpest move among meat items and accelerating (June +5%, July +13.4%); turkey averaged RUB 645 per kg, up 15.1% (June +9%, July +11.8%). Market data for 14-20 September: broiler carcass purchase price averaged RUB 225 per kg (+18% y/y), fillet and thighs +28%, drumsticks +20%. AKIT retailers association chairman Stanislav Bogdanov notes chains sell socially significant chicken below purchase price, with a markup of minus 0.7% on the first-price carcass in mid-September and a minimum shelf price of RUB 220 per kg. Neo partner Albina Koryagina attributes the rise to feed, logistics, fuel and wage costs while output stays at 260-280k tonnes a month; she doubts the increase is durable since the broiler cycle is only 40-45 days and the incentive to raise prices disappears once margins return to 18-20%. The Agriculture Ministry told Kommersant domestic supply fully covers the market, with 4.4m tonnes live weight produced by agricultural organisations in January-August. In H1 2026 chicken accounted for 68% of chilled and frozen meat volume, with sales down 3%; turkey held 4.6% with sales up 2%. Impact on Chinese sellers: confirmed impact (only for Russian food retail pricing) - purchase prices in food categories are rising, so Chinese sellers handling Russian food products, seasonings and ready meals need to recalculate costs; inference - cost pressure will feed into retail prices and may cut volume in cheap food categories; there is no direct link for 3C and home goods sellers.

The Bank of Russia set official rates effective 23 September: USD at RUB 84.0657 (-2.97 kopecks), EUR at RUB 96.5915 (+21.82 kopecks) and CNY at RUB 12.5291. On the Moscow Exchange the yuan stood at RUB 12.6 at 19:00, up 10.5 kopecks from the previous close, with the rouble weakening on negative oil dynamics while exporter preparation for the tax period (28 September: personal income tax, insurance contributions, VAT, mineral extraction tax, excises and profit tax) provided support. BCS Mir Investments expert Andrey Smirnov suggested the dollar could drift to RUB 83, euro below RUB 96 and yuan to RUB 12.3 around the fiscal payment peak, returning to 84-85, 96-97 and 12.5 respectively in early October. Household inflation expectations rose in September from 13.7% to 14.2% (inFOM poll for the CBR), with perceived inflation up from 14.3% to 15.1%. During the covered day of 22 September the previous rate set (22.09, announced on 21 September) was in force: USD 84.0954, EUR 96.3733, CNY 12.5448. Impact on Chinese sellers: confirmed impact - for settlements in dollars or yuan, the official rate from 23 September means a slightly weaker dollar and slightly stronger yuan (12.5448 to 12.5291), so quotations and conversion calculations need updating; inference - the rouble is temporarily firmer ahead of the tax period, making the conversion window to end-September relatively favourable, though the rate may reverse in early October.

WB Bank clients can now withdraw cash from VTB ATMs without commission, with a limit of up to RUB 500,000 per month, and can deposit funds without restrictions through VTB devices. VTB ATM network comprises about 20,000 devices covering all 89 Russian regions, with more than 2,500 located in Russian Post offices. VTB deputy president Georgy Gorshkov said the bank and Wildberries continue joint projects, and VTB clients can now get extra cashback for purchases on Wildberries. WB Bank board chairman Svyatoslav Yemelyanov said the RUB 500,000 free withdrawal limit covers 99% of client requests. In May VTB and the RWB group announced a strategic partnership giving WB Bank access to VTB infrastructure - retail branches, the ATM network, investment and other services; this ATM connection is the first practical step. Impact on Chinese sellers: inference - cash in and out channels inside the Wildberries ecosystem are now linked to the VTB network, easing withdrawals and deposits for sellers with Russian status using WB Bank; applicability unconfirmed - a Russian bank account is required, and whether WB Bank is open to foreign individuals or Chinese sellers without Russian status is something I do not know; cross-border sellers most likely cannot use it.

Russian equities rose on Tuesday on expectations of geopolitically positive news from the UN General Assembly and stabilising oil prices (November Brent at $100.33 by 19:00), while EU sanctions news acted as a drag. The MOEX index closed at 2,300.09 (+1.9%) and the RTS index at 861.92 (+1.9%). Leaders included MMK (+5.7%), Severstal (+5.2%), PhosAgro (+4.8%), Ozon (+4%), Alrosa (+3.9%), NLMK (+3.8%) and Gazprom (+3.3%). Turnover in index shares reached RUB 65.36bn by 19:00, including RUB 13.44bn in Gazprom, RUB 5.26bn in Ozon and RUB 5.18bn in Sberbank common shares. Analysts at Freedom Global, BCS, Cifra Broker and Finam agree the index remains in a 2,200-3,000 range and is highly dependent on geopolitics; Rosstat weekly inflation and the CBR meeting summary are due on 23 September. Impact on Chinese sellers: inference - no direct link to day-to-day selling; it can serve as a reference for platform financial health (Ozon shares +4% on the day, second by turnover). No confirmed impact.

According to Future Lab (part of Starlink group) using Mediascope Cross Web data, average daily viewing time per user on Russia largest video platforms rose 6% to 87.7 minutes in H1 2026, while excluding YouTube it fell 5%. YouTube itself grew 24% to 99 minutes per user per day (a year earlier it was down 28.6%). A year earlier the picture was reversed: platforms overall fell 27% and rose 32% without YouTube. Rutube viewing time including embedded views fell 4.7% to 41 minutes but rose 9.5% to 62.8 minutes excluding embeds; Rutube disputes this and cites Mediascope data showing +9.1%. VK says the standalone VK Video app viewing time rose 65% to close to 100 minutes. Desktop and mobile only, excluding Smart TV and embedded views. Experts argue the 2024-2025 growth was audience redistribution from a throttled YouTube rather than organic growth. Impact on Chinese sellers: inference - Russian viewers attention remains concentrated on YouTube, so budgets for off-site seeding, reviews and placements should be allocated accordingly; no confirmed compliance or cost impact.