Insurance rates for warehouses and in-stock goods surge; seller inqui…

Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, in an interview posted on the channel of ministry spokesperson Irina Volk, said Pakistan is Russia's key political partner in Asia and fully shares Moscow's position that law-enforcement work and cooperation must not be politicized. He said cooperation spans cybercrime, terrorism, extremism, illegal migration and drug trafficking. He recalled that cybercrime in Russia fell 32% over the first eight months of the year, and said Russia is ready to share its experience.

The Parliamentary Gazette reported that Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev, speaking at an 15 October roundtable in the upper chamber, said extending its jurisdiction to third states is a distinguishing feature of the EU, and that its decisions and conduct do not conform to international law. Invoking the ultra vires doctrine, he said acts of an international organization exceeding its statutory powers and purposes cannot be deemed lawful. He added that Article 55 of the 1994 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which obliges Russia to approximate its legislation to EU law, has lost all practical meaning and should be denounced.

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on the Max platform on 17 October, commenting on Zelensky declining at a Brussels press briefing to answer whether he considers himself a scapegoat for US President Donald Trump. Volodin said Zelensky became a scapegoat long ago, when he renounced his own past. He recalled that Zelensky's grandfather fought through the entire Great Patriotic War and was awarded two Orders of the Red Star, while his great-grandfather and three brothers of his grandfather died in the Holocaust. Volodin concluded that Zelensky will not escape responsibility for the crimes and betrayal committed.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Manama to take part in talks in the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council format. Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said earlier that participants would exchange views on international and regional agenda items, including the situation in the Persian Gulf area. The Russian foreign minister will also hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

The IRGC press service reported that a tanker trying to pass the Strait of Hormuz with its transponder off and without coordination with Iran struck a sea mine on the morning of 17 October. The vessel was carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil. No information on casualties or the vessel's ownership was given. A previous tanker fire in the strait occurred overnight into 17 October; the IRGC said that vessel was also carrying about 2 million barrels.

A group of US representatives introduced a bill aimed at blocking the so-called diesel deal between Washington and Moscow. The document would bar the US International Development Finance Corporation from investing in Russia's energy sector, revoke related OFAC general licenses and prohibit new ones, and require the administration to impose sanctions on Russian energy. Its author is Gregory Meeks, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; 17 lawmakers joined as co-sponsors, including 16 Democrats and Republican Don Bacon. Meeks said striking deals with Moscow at a time of needed pressure contradicts the principles the United States stands for.

The Russian government moved refinery modernization deadlines under agreements with the Energy Ministry — used by oil companies to receive the reverse oil excise — by one year, from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2027; the amendments were published on the legal information portal. The eligibility threshold rose from cumulative investment of at least 60 billion rubles to at least 100 billion. The amendments also broaden how gasoline output is calculated for the excise: instead of Euro-5 ecological class fuel, the wording now covers fuel whose circulation is permitted in Russia.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the oil IEA member countries are releasing from their reserves is insufficient to cover the shortfall that has emerged on the world market. He said a decision was taken to release around 500 million barrels, while Russian estimates put the market's shortfall at some 2.2 billion barrels. He noted that OECD countries' release capacity is running out and that later restocking will also weigh on demand. He said stabilizing the global oil market after full restoration of tanker transit through the Strait of Hormuz would take one to one and a half years.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said supplies via the Power of Siberia pipeline to China are expected at about 39 bcm in 2026, above the volume set out in the main contract. He put the first project's capacity at 38 bcm. He said there is an agreement to expand supplies to 44 bcm, while a second project of 50 bcm a year is under negotiation between Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation over commercial terms.

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements, following reports of mass poisoning among children at a kindergarten in Barnaul. The number affected and the specific cause were not given.

Rospotrebnadzor asked the Association of Tour Operators of Russia for information on Russian tourists falling ill with influenza A while holidaying in Dubai, and sent an official letter to the UAE Ministry of Health. The agency said those affected reported high fever and severe body aches. It also requested data on the epidemiological situation, preventive measures and how travellers to the UAE are being informed. One case cited was a 24-year-old tourist from Samara whose symptoms appeared six days into her holiday.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defenses downed another 14 drones heading for the capital, with emergency services working at debris impact sites. Earlier on Saturday he reported 181 UAVs destroyed on approach to the city, bringing the total to 195. Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were reported at that moment not accepting or dispatching flights.

The Belgorod region operational headquarters said drones attacked an enterprise, an infrastructure facility and several private houses. In Krasnaya Yaruga, a drone damaged a private house and another damaged an enterprise; in Ilek-Penkovka a private house burned down after an FPV drone detonated. After an attack on the Shebekino district a local infrastructure facility caught fire, two private houses, a car and a truck were damaged. Another vehicle was damaged in the Borisovka district.

LPR head Leonid Pasechnik said that after Ukrainian forces attacked energy facilities, an emergency power cut left 23 municipalities without electricity, including Luhansk. In the regional capital, outages were recorded in the Leninsky, Kamennobrodsky and Artyomovsky districts. He said the threat of new attacks remains, power crews will begin repairs as soon as possible, some consumers will be switched to backup lines, and social and medical facilities have already been moved to backup power.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the first tanker of oil from the Vostok Oil project has already been loaded at the port of Dikson for the world market. Vostok Oil is Rosneft's largest project, including the Payakhskoye field and the West Irkinsky block, with a confirmed resource base of 7 billion tonnes of oil; implementation began in 2020. It was also reported that in early September President Putin was told about the first oil being transported along the project's trunk pipeline to the new Bukhta Sever terminal and authorized loading the first oil onto an Arctic tanker.

Aeroflot's press service said two flights whose crews had not completed their duty day flew passengers from Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow, while more than 400 stranded passengers were sent to Moscow by bus; some declined and travelled on their own. Nizhny Novgorod's Chkalov airport took in 22 flights overnight that could not land in the capital due to restrictions. According to Transport Ministry data as of 15:30 Moscow time, 103 flights were delayed at Moscow hub airports, and Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 144 drones had been downed near Moscow since the start of the day.

Russian athletes Anastasia Laktionova and Alana Skripko won medals at the European Junior and U23 Weightlifting Championships in Durres, Albania. Laktionova, in the up-to-77 kg U23 category, took bronze in the snatch (98 kg), clean and jerk (127 kg) and total (225 kg). Skripko, in the same weight class among juniors, was third in the clean and jerk (126 kg) and in the total (222 kg). The tournament ends on 19 October.

Lokomotiv Moscow and Krasnodar drew 3-3 in Russian Premier League round 11. Joao Batci put Krasnodar ahead on 5 minutes and Nikolai Titkov levelled on 16. Late in the second half Lokomotiv scored twice through Alexander Rudenko (71) and Alexander Kovalenko (78), before Krasnodar replied via Lucas Olasa (86) and John Cordoba (90+1). Krasnodar moved to 22 points, level with leaders Dynamo and CSKA, who still have their round-11 head-to-head in hand; Lokomotiv sit 12th on 11 points.

Kommersant, citing estimates by the Polis.online service and Rental Pro, reports that insurance rates for warehouse real estate have risen 20-fold since the start of the year, with the main jump occurring in midsummer after a series of attacks on large marketplace logistics centres. Alexander Efimov, head of commercial real estate insurance at broker Remind, said that terrorism and drone-risk insurance cost around 0.015% per year last year, while the current rate is 1.5% for six months — roughly a 200-fold increase on an annualised basis. Sergey Vereshchagin, CEO of LogLab, said that before July 2026 insurance cost about 0.1% per year and has since risen to 5–7%, applying both to the property and to goods stored in it. For a 10,000 sq m warehouse, goods may be worth 7–10 billion rubles, with insurance costing 400–500 million rubles a year against warehousing services at 150–200 million rubles, i.e. insurance is 3–3.5 times more expensive. Oksana Lyubivaya, founder of the Prostor group, said previous rates were up to 1% of the value of goods in the warehouse; existing contracts continue to run, but new contracts generally exclude the consequences of a terrorist act. The All-Russian Union of Insurers expects rates to keep rising. Insurers advise clients to spread assets across smaller sites, reduce stock and improve protection themselves. The article does not distinguish between resident and non-resident sellers and gives no sample size.

Interfax reports that President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to approve a program for restoring trade and logistics infrastructure damaged by terrorist acts, providing for the use of modern technological solutions and ensuring its implementation. According to the list of presidential instructions published on the Kremlin website, a report is due by 1 November 2026 and quarterly thereafter. The same list instructs the government, taking earlier instructions into account, to provide support to the regions from the federal budget in the amount of no less than 100 billion rubles so they can meet their budget obligations sustainably. The instructions follow the meeting of the Presidential Council for Strategic Development and National Projects held on 19 August 2026. The text lists no specific facilities, funding sources or restoration timeline, and does not say whether marketplace warehouses and pickup points are covered.

Lenta.ru, citing RIA Novosti, reports that Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said diesel prices at Russian filling stations will not change as a result of the deal to supply diesel to the US and world markets, because "the domestic market is fully supplied." He also said Ukraine shows no movement toward an energy truce and continues to attack Russian refineries. The report recalls that on 9 October the Russian and US presidents agreed on supplies of Russian diesel to the US and world markets. No specific price figures are given, and the impact on road freight costs is not assessed.

Kommersant reports that the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs is discussing with the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry the introduction of legislative rules for insuring industrial facilities against military risks, including air attacks. Presidential commissioner for entrepreneurs’ rights and RSPP head Alexander Shokhin said these risks "cannot be insured on market terms" and would place an unbearable burden on companies, so the state-owned National Reinsurance Company, owned by the Central Bank, must be involved; he believes such attacks should be classified as terrorism. Insurance market participants have recorded growing business demand for cover against war-related and drone-attack risks. The article also notes that in August the head of the All-Russian Union of Insurers, Yevgeny Ufimtsev, said banks had begun requiring drone-strike risk to be included in mortgage insurance; according to Kommersant’s own finding, without an extended-coverage policy the rate may rise by about 2 percentage points. No legislative timeline is given, and it is not stated whether the rules would cover e-commerce warehouses and sellers’ goods.

Kommersant, citing TASS and the Rospatent database, reports that Warner Bros has registered two trademarks from the Harry Potter universe in Russia: Hogwarts and Hogwarts Legacy. Both applications came from the US and were filed with Rospatent in February and March 2026. Hogwarts is registered across five Nice Classification classes, including downloadable video game software, paper and cardboard goods, clothing, toys, and education and leisure services; Hogwarts Legacy is registered in one class, video game software. The report notes the company suspended its operations in Russia in 2022. The article does not address seller product cards, parallel imports or enforcement procedures; applicability to Chinese sellers is unconfirmed.

Kommersant reports that in January–September 2026 sales of alcohol excluding beer in Russia fell 1% to 147 million decalitres; in September the decline accelerated to 2%, with vodka, cognac and wine sales falling as consumers switched to liqueurs and bitters. According to the article, vodka rose 15% over the year to 986 rubles per litre and still wine 8% to 730 rubles. Over nine months, sales of liqueur and vodka products grew 11%, sparkling wine sales reached their highest level since 2022, while low-alcohol drinks fell to 550 thousand decalitres, losing more than half of demand. Pavel Shapkin, head of the Centre for the Development of National Alcohol Policy, explains that the low-alcohol segment has shrunk roughly 20-fold compared with the period before 2024, with demand spilling over into alternatives such as canned sparkling wine. The peak sales season starts in November, but producers already expect weaker spirits figures; the industry does not rule out companies looking for new revenue sources such as non-alcoholic drinks. Experts warn that higher prices for legal products push buyers toward the illegal market. No separate figures for marketplace channels are given.

Interfax, citing a post on the Russian government website, reports that Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order allocating more than 1.7 billion rubles to 58 Russian regions that submitted applications, for measures under regional export development programs; this is expected to raise their overseas shipments to 3.2 billion rubles. The government statement says the projects include those run by small and medium-sized businesses with support from regional export centres, and that the measures cover all stages of an export deal — from consultations to participation in international exhibitions and assistance with listing on foreign platforms — speeding up the search for trading partners in promising markets and adaptation to local rules and requirements. At a government meeting on 15 October Mishustin said the decision would help unlock the trade potential of domestic companies. The text does not say whether cross-border e-commerce sellers can apply.

The Central Bank of Russia’s official exchange rate interface returns the following set for 17 October 2026: US dollar 83.6177 rubles, euro 93.7187 rubles, yuan 12.4950 rubles (nominal value 1 each). A repeat query in this run using 18 October 2026 returned the same set with @Date=17.10.2026, meaning no new rate set was published on the coverage day. The interface does not return a publication time. Compared with the same rate set reported in the 16 October issue, what is new here is the fact that no new rate set was published on the coverage day; the values themselves are unchanged.

Lenta.ru, citing RIA Novosti, reports that Stanislav Bogdanov, chairman of the Association of Omnichannel Retail Companies (AKORT), said that since the start of 2026 the minimum prices at major retail chains for pork, chicken eggs and butter have fallen by 19%, 18% and 14% respectively. Over January–September the most affordable types of pork fell 19% amid higher output and competition from other meats, mainly chicken and turkey. Eggs were 18% cheaper over the same period: purchase and retail prices fell for more than seven months and have now stabilised; retailers apply the minimum markup to eggs and sometimes sell them below cost. Butter has fallen 14% since the start of the year. Rice is down 12%, millet 9% and lamb 5%; potatoes and seasonal apples fell within 6%, and rye bread is also on the list of cheaper products. No data for online channels or marketplaces is given.