Wildberries tests a services classifieds section, opening with home r…

At its first plenary session on 30 September, the ninth State Duma elected Vyacheslav Volodin as speaker with 406 votes against 36 for Communist nominee Dmitry Novikov, making Volodin the first politician to lead the chamber for more than two consecutive terms. The session also elected two first deputy speakers and nine deputy speakers and approved chairs for all 34 committees — United Russia taking 20, the Communist Party five, and LDPR, New People and A Just Russia three each. The chamber renewed by 41%, with 184 new deputies including 48 participants in the special military operation and 81 women.

Speaking at the first plenary session of the ninth State Duma on 30 September, Vladimir Putin said he expects key decisions for the country and its people to be taken with solid, consolidated support from all parliamentary parties, since they are like-minded in the pursuit of success, security and prosperity. He also stressed the need for a balanced and realistic federal budget without populism, and pledged that all social obligations to Russians would be met.

Kursk region governor Alexander Khinshtein said on 30 September that a Defence Ministry official responsible for accepting defensive works in Kursk and neighbouring frontline regions has been detained. According to preliminary data, he signed acceptance certificates without actually inspecting the work; a criminal case has been opened under part three of Article 285 of the Russian Criminal Code (abuse of office). Earlier, former governor Alexei Smirnov was sentenced to 14 years plus a 400 million rouble fine for bribery, and his former deputy Alexei Dedov to 17 years plus a 450 million rouble fine.

On 30 September the Russian Foreign Ministry lodged a strong protest with the Danish ambassador in Moscow over the unprofessional and provocative actions of a Danish Air Force Fennec helicopter toward the Baltic Fleet corvette Soobrazitelny. The incident occurred on 14 September in neutral waters of the south-western Baltic: the helicopter came dangerously close and hovered less than 50 metres above the ship. After repeated warnings on international frequencies were ignored, the corvette fired two signal flares away from the helicopter, which then left the area. Moscow called the manoeuvres a gross violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and warned of escalation risks.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on 30 September that plants in European countries producing weapons for Ukraine are potential military targets for Russia, and that assuming such facilities are safe outside Ukraine is wrong. She added that Europe is doing everything to obstruct a peaceful settlement and derail negotiation prospects, and that discussing a trilateral Russia–Ukraine–US meeting makes no sense as there are neither final nor interim decisions on it.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on 30 September that Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko will visit China in early November. The same day, the ministry described Russian-Chinese relations as developing dynamically.

On 30 September the Russian government submitted to the State Duma the draft federal budget for 2027 and the 2028–2029 planning period; the order was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Draft budgets of extra-budgetary funds were submitted alongside, with the whole package filed electronically. For 2027 revenues are set at 43.3 trillion roubles and spending at 48.8 trillion, leaving a 5.5 trillion deficit; the deficit is 5.1 trillion in 2028 and 5.3 trillion in 2029. The fiscal rule baseline oil price is set at $50 per barrel for 2027–2030, with a zero primary structural deficit targeted by 2029 and inflation of no more than 4% across the three years.

Rosstat data released on 30 September show Russian consumer prices rose 0.12% over 22–28 September, after 0.06% the previous week, with annual inflation slowing to 6.25%. Month-to-date prices are up 0.25% and year-to-date 4.93%. Fruit and vegetables fell 1.2% on average (potatoes -3.2%, apples -2.5%, cabbage -2.3%), while eggs rose 1.9%, buckwheat and millet 0.8%, and rice 0.5%. Petrol prices were flat after six weeks of growth and diesel fell 0.61%.

According to the Ministry of Economic Development monthly review, Russian GDP grew 0.8% year-on-year in August 2026, with 0.6% growth over January–August. Rosstat data released the same day show unemployment falling to 2.2% in August from 2.3% in July, with 1.649 million unemployed, 80,000 fewer than in July. By comparison, the rate was also 2.2% in June and 2.1% in May, the lowest since records began in 1991.

On 30 September, at a meeting in the Federation Council, Russia Investigative Committee proposed classifying e-scooter users as vehicle drivers and requiring a licence to operate personal mobility devices. Dmitry Astashkin, senior inspector at the committee Main Investigative Directorate, said the Road Safety Law must be amended to set the minimum licensing age at 16 — currently children from the age of seven may use such devices. The committee also proposes banning under-16s from using e-scooters and restricting riding on pavements and pedestrian zones.

On 30 September the Russian Health Ministry announced the registration of the Allergarda allergy vaccine for the prevention and treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis caused by birch pollen sensitisation and related cross food allergies. The ministry said it represents a new generation of allergen-specific immunotherapy, using a recombinant genetically engineered antigen based on individual non-allergenic structural components of the natural allergen rather than a whole protein or natural extract. Developed by the Federal Medical-Biological Agency national allergy and immunology research centre, it is produced end-to-end in Russia with a favourable safety profile in clinical trials.

Submitting the three-year budget draft, the Russian government said the average old-age pension will reach 29,904 roubles by end-2027. The three-year budget of the Social Fund of Russia, filed as part of the package, provides for indexation of pensions and benefits: insurance pensions will rise twice in 2027, by 6.8% from 1 February (in line with 2026 inflation) and by a further 3.3% from 1 April. The cabinet listed fulfilment of social obligations — support for families with children, health and education, and assistance to special military operation participants and their relatives — among budget priorities.

On the evening of 30 September a large fire broke out in an apartment block in Novokuybyshevsk, Samara region, starting in a fifth-floor flat on Molodyozhnaya street and spreading across roughly 1,200 square metres. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties; 82 personnel and 28 vehicles were deployed, and the fire was later localised at about 1,000 square metres.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on 30 September that air defence assets on duty intercepted and destroyed 123 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones between 08:00 and 20:00 Moscow time. The ministry listed Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Oryol, Tyumen and Smolensk regions, Perm krai, the Moscow region, Crimea and the Black Sea waters as interception areas.

Updating coverage from 29 September (director detained, 14 dead): on 30 September the Pereslavl district court ordered the pre-trial detention of the general director of the pyrotechnics plant in Kubrinsk near Pereslavl-Zalessky until 28 November. Investigators had earlier in the day charged him with violating industrial safety requirements. The 28 September fire killed 14 people and injured one; 30 September was declared a day of mourning in the region.

The Russian Defence Ministry told journalists on 30 September that Russian forces struck a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea carrying military supplies for the Ukrainian army. The ministry also said strike drones and ground-based missiles hit a communications centre in Kyiv, energy infrastructure in Kyiv region and the port of Izmail the same day.

The government extended until 2030 the mechanism requiring advance payments of at least 80% of contract value for purchases of industrial products, and added 22 items to the eligible list: industrial robots and robotic systems, belt and roller conveyors, thermal spraying machines, 3D scanners, lifts, lasers, welding and brazing equipment and more. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed the resolution, saying the measure would improve the financial stability of the machine-tool industry, lifting and transport equipment and industrial robotics. Purchases are planned for 2026–2030.

Rosstat data show Russian companies earned net profit (profit minus loss) of 13,027.9 billion roubles in January–July 2026, down 15.7% year-on-year; July alone came to 1,331.7 billion roubles, down 32.0%. Some 42,900 organisations were profitable with 19,603.0 billion roubles (-5.3%), while 21,500 posted losses of 6,575.1 billion roubles (+25.6%); the share of profitable organisations fell to 66.6% from 69.4%. Mining profit rose 35.9% while manufacturing fell 17.0%.

The All-Russian Volleyball Federation said on 30 September that the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) board of administration has admitted the Russian men and women national teams to competitions under its auspices. The CEV said the FIVB decision on admitting Russian national teams extends to CEV national team events, with specific participation conditions and procedures to be defined later and submitted for approval. The decision covers both indoor and beach volleyball; the nearest eligible official event is the Nations League. Russian teams have been suspended since 2022, with FIVB lifting restrictions on youth teams in December 2025.

On 30 September Vladimir Putin approved a list of instructions following the Science and Education Council meeting. The government, together with the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Kurchatov Institute, Rosatom and the State Council commission on technological leadership, was instructed to develop a comprehensive regulatory approach to building and developing a national network of unique research infrastructure, including mega-science class facilities and domestic systems for storing unique data such as biological collections and genetic data; a report is due by 30 December 2026 and every six months thereafter. The same package includes instructions to consider an experimental regime for AI technology development at the Sirius centre, to improve the efficiency of the PIK reactor research centre, to expand the remit of the grape genetic resources centre, and to collect information for training national AI models.

Wildberries has opened a private-services classifieds section called "WB Services" inside its WB Resale unit, visible to a share of users on the web and in the app. Listings are reachable through search filters in Resale and through a dedicated Services tab, after updating the app to the latest version. The launch category is home and apartment repair with 14 trades, including plumbing, electrical work, finishing, installation of windows, doors, air conditioners and ventilation, furniture assembly and handyman services; listings are free for specialists during the launch promotion. Customers and specialists negotiate scope, location, timing and final price in an in-app chat, with payment settled outside the platform. Ilya Zagryadsky, CPO of WB Resale, called it the next step in the C2C direction, with more categories to come. Applicability to Chinese sellers is unconfirmed: the section targets local service providers and settles off-platform.

Retailer Magnit has launched a peer-to-peer parcel service called Magnit Posylki, with the app appearing in the App Store and Google Play in August 2026, Vedomosti found. The description advertises delivery to more than 3,000 Russian cities and courier tracking, but the company clarified that individuals can currently send only within a single locality; in practice the service covers more than 900 localities where the chain operates, with intercity delivery due in October and now in testing. Data Insight lead analyst Sergey Semko said the service will load existing stores and couriers more heavily and is especially logical for intra-city delivery. Roman Samoylov, head of the consumer and agribusiness practice at Strategy Partners, said it can add revenue without major capital spending, though winning a meaningful share will be hard given competition. Impact on Chinese sellers is judged limited — this expands local last-mile capacity; any effect on pickup-point and last-mile tariffs is unconfirmed.

From 1 October, schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions may buy goods on marketplaces, with e-commerce platforms added alongside existing public procurement systems. Alexandra Mertsalova, deputy head of the consumer market desk at Kommersant, noted that the purchases will run in an experimental mode, only on digital platforms included in the Ministry of Economic Development register, and only for a limited assortment such as furniture and teaching materials. The mechanism is meant to ease the administrative burden on institutions that must currently run full procedures even for small orders, while obligations and risks tied to budget money remain with suppliers. Impact on Chinese sellers is unconfirmed: participation depends on the platform being registered and on suppliers meeting certification and registration requirements; the piece gives no access rules for foreign suppliers.

Unlike the 16 September report that the ban would run "to the end of October", this time the government issued it formally: Russia extended its ban on exports of diesel, marine fuel and gas oils by producers "through 31 October 2026 inclusive", citing the need to stabilise the domestic market. The ban has been in place since September 2025, initially only for traders and refineries producing under 1 million tonnes a year; in July 2026 it was extended to all fuel producers for a month and has since been prolonged twice. Impact on Chinese sellers: the confirmed effect runs through Russian domestic fuel and road-haulage costs, so it is indirect; the piece gives no change in cross-border logistics rates, and applicability is unconfirmed.

Nikolay Cherednichenko, deputy director of the transport ministry's automobile and urban passenger transport policy department, said couriers on e-bikes should not ride on pavements because such vehicles are too powerful and heavy and should use the roadway, specifying vehicles heavier than 35 kilograms. He regretted that couriers continue to use pavements because of gaps in registration and enforcement. This is a statement, not yet an enforceable rule with penalties. Impact on Chinese sellers is unconfirmed: if a binding requirement follows, it would directly affect e-bike last-mile cost and delivery times.

X5 Group CEO Igor Shekhterman said at the X5 Dialog supplier conference on 30 September that over the first eight months of 2026 the company's logistics costs rose 12.6% year on year and marketing costs 12%. X5 said the year has been harder than last, citing not only costs but also consumer thrift, a shortage of line staff and more expensive logistics. Mikhail Burmistrov, CEO of Infoline-Analytics, noted that retailer spending on storage and delivery is now growing twice as fast as retail prices; the fuel crisis drives this both through petrol prices and through truck idle time, while frequent drone attacks have raised insurance costs for cargo and logistics facilities. Stanislav Bogdanov, chairman of the omnichannel retail association, added that equipment maintenance and renewal, fuel prices, indexation of road charges and the removal of the reduced heavy-truck toll coefficient all add to costs. SberIndex data show real food spending fell 1.9% week on week in 21–27 September and 3.8% against the August average. Impact on Chinese sellers is inferred: the same drivers (fuel, insurance, road charges) also bear on 3PL quotes; the magnitude is unconfirmed.

Unlike earlier readings of the pending rules, 1 October is when the law actually takes effect. It sets common rules for marketplaces and aggregators, including mandatory seller verification and electronic document flow, and gives buyers the technical ability to file claims against sellers directly on the platform. A digital platform register launches at the same time: the Ministry of Economic Development's preliminary July list contains 12 platforms, including the largest general marketplaces Ozon, Wildberries and Yandex Market. The law also sets mandatory terms for contracts with sellers and pickup-point operators, rules on discounts, complaint-handling order and product card content. Alexandra Mertsalova, deputy head of Kommersant's consumer market desk, expects more targeted regulation to follow. Impact on Chinese sellers is confirmed: selling through registered platforms makes seller verification and product-card conformity certificates and declarations a hard requirement; localisation requirements for foreign platforms are not covered here.

Russia's MVD migration service said that from 1 October 2026 the procedure for notifying the MVD about patent-based foreign workers depends on the employer's status. Where a foreign national works for an individual, the worker must file the notification personally within two months of receiving the patent. Where the worker is employed by a legal entity, the employer must notify on the conclusion or termination of the contract, and may do so through the Gosuslugi portal. The MVD also recalled that late notification of a foreign worker's dismissal carries administrative liability of up to 800,000 rubles or suspension of operations for up to 90 days. Impact on Chinese sellers is confirmed: those employing patent-holding foreign staff in Russia, including in warehousing, sorting and delivery, must have the correct party file depending on employer type; the tax status of marketplace sellers themselves is not covered.

Kommersant, using DSM Group data, calculated that in the first three weeks of September 2026 (weeks 36–38) Russian pharmacies sold 5.7m packs of antivirals worth 3.4bn rubles: up 59% in money and 66% in units versus the previous three weeks, but down 15% in money and 20% in units year on year. Symptomatic cold remedies sold 4.15m packs worth 2.28bn rubles, up 81% in money and 75% in units versus August but down 3.5% and 14% year on year. Rospotrebnadzor data show incidence rose 33.8% week on week in 14–20 September to 734,000 cases. Ozon Pharmaceutica said retail sales of popular cold and antiviral drugs rose 2.3x in September versus August; pharmacy chain 36.6 reported an 88.7% increase in money terms. Market participants expect a noticeable flu and cold wave in mid-October and the next peak in December, but full-year antiviral market volume is unlikely to exceed last year's, hurt by weak early-year and spring sales; distributor deliveries to pharmacies fell 10% year on year over January–September. Impact on Chinese sellers is inferred: the autumn-winter cold season is a dependable online demand peak, so replenishment should move earlier; the piece gives no marketplace-level category data.

The Industry and Trade Ministry press service said subsidised auto loan and leasing programmes have supported sales of 178,200 vehicles since the start of the year, reaching their planned volume. Subsidised loans accounted for more than 123,000 vehicles, benefiting families with children, medical workers, teachers, participants in the special military operation and their families, and people with disabilities. Preferential leasing moved 54,800 vehicles, with the budget allocation used up ahead of schedule; a dedicated sub-limit continues to support public transport fleet renewal. The ministry stressed this is not a full cancellation of support: both programmes are built into the new budget cycle and their restart will be announced separately. In January–August 2026 Russian sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles rose 8% to 900,900 units (846,000 passenger cars, +10.2%; 54,900 LCVs, −17.2%). Impact on Chinese sellers is inferred: winding down subsidies will cool near-term demand for vehicles and auto parts; the piece gives no marketplace category data, so applicability is unconfirmed.

The Bank of Russia published official rates effective 1 October: the US dollar at 83.5588 rubles (down 86.95 kopecks from 84.4283 on 30 September), the euro at 94.8810 rubles (down 1.1815 rubles) and the Chinese yuan at 12.4732 rubles (down 10.32 kopecks), with the ruble strengthening against all three. The rates were set on 30 September and take effect 1 October; the data come from the central bank's XML_daily interface (ValCurs @Date=01.10.2026). Impact on Chinese sellers is confirmed: converting ruble revenue into yuan now yields fewer rubles per unit of yuan; the actual effect depends on settlement timing and conversion rates.

The Bank of Russia published its 2027 board key-rate calendar: eight meetings in total, on 12 February, 19 March, 30 April, 11 June, 30 July, 10 September, 22 October and 17 December. The baseline meetings are 12 February, 30 April, 30 July and 22 October, which come with the medium-term macro forecast, a commentary and a summary of the rate discussion. According to the draft "Main Directions of the Unified State Monetary Policy for 2027–2029" published in late August, 2027 inflation is seen at 4.5–5.5% and GDP growth at 1–2%. Impact on Chinese sellers is inferred: the key rate path shapes Russian consumer credit costs and demand strength, and therefore marketplace sales cadence; the document contains no direct rules for cross-border sellers.

According to the Ministry of Economic Development's "Current Economic Situation" review, Russian GDP grew 0.8% year on year in August 2026 after 0.6% in July, with January–August growth at 0.6%. In September the ministry raised its 2026 forecast to 0.6% from 0.4% in the May version. The central bank in July cut its 2026 forecast to 0.0–1.0% from 0.5–1.5%. The consensus of analysts polled by Interfax in early September is 0.5% growth for the year. Impact on Chinese sellers is inferred: weak growth means limited expansion of Russia's overall consumer pie, so assortment and pricing decisions should focus on share rather than volume growth; the piece contains no retail or e-commerce breakdown.

Rosstat data show consumer prices rose 0.12% over 22–28 September (after 0.06%, 0.02% and 0.05% in the three previous weeks); 0.25% since the start of the month to 28 September and 4.93% since the start of the year. On the central bank methodology (derived from weekly dynamics), annual inflation eased to 6.25% from 6.26% on 21 September; on the Ministry of Economic Development methodology (versus average daily September 2025 levels), it rose to 6.26% from 6.22%. Petrol prices were flat on the week, ending six consecutive weeks of increases, though petrol is still up 21.10% since the start of the year; diesel fell 0.61% on the week but is up 14.04% year to date. Fruit and vegetables fell 1.2%; eggs rose 1.9% and buckwheat and millet 0.8%. Among non-food goods, vacuum cleaners rose 0.8%. Impact on Chinese sellers is confirmed: fuel and logistics price growth has paused, which may ease last-mile cost pressure; the effect on pricing and promotion cadence is unconfirmed.