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- Sense of duty: what problems of the business affected by the attacks will be solved by the new measures of the Central Bank
Sense of duty: what problems of the business affected by the attacks will be solved by the new measures of the Central Bank
Entrepreneurs whose goods were damaged as a result of the Ukrainian attacks on Wildberries warehouses will begin to actively turn to banks for easing credit conditions, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe. The number of restructuring applications is likely to grow by at least 20% in the third quarter. The Central Bank has already recommended that credit institutions meet the needs of affected entrepreneurs: do not impose fines and penalties, do not require early repayment and provide holidays. The allowances may be valid for a year. Whether market participants will cope with the sharp increase in demand for loan restructuring is in the Izvestia article.
How the authorities want to help sellers on the WB
In recent weeks, nearly two dozen Wildberries logistics centers and warehouses in different regions of Russia have been attacked by drones. On August 7, after the attack, the logistics center of the marketplace in Yekaterinburg caught fire. The fire was contained, and most of the goods were not damaged. Also, a sorting center was evacuated in Nizhnekamsk on August 10 in the morning, and later the facility returned to work.
Sellers on Wildberries lose goods and incur significant costs due to property damage. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak instructed the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Tax Service, together with the Central Bank and business associations, to submit draft regulations with support measures by August 10. Izvestia asked the responsible agencies about their proposals.
On August 10, the Bank of Russia advised lenders to help businesses in easing loan conditions. Even in cases where the borrower is legally not eligible for credit holidays.
Market participants are advised not to impose fines and penalties for late payments and not to demand early repayment of debt. When debt is restructured, information about this should also not worsen the credit history of an entrepreneur who has suffered due to attacks on warehouses. The instructions of the Central Bank on the support of such borrowers will be valid until the end of August 2027.
Loan restructuring is a change in the terms of an already issued loan by agreement with the bank. For example, the borrower may reduce the monthly payment by extending the repayment period, or grant a delay in repayment. The latter is possible, for example, by providing credit holidays. This is a temporary opportunity not to pay the loan, but it is usually provided only if the business meets a number of criteria. For example, the loan must be issued after March 2024, and its size does not exceed certain limits.
How will the number of business restructurings change due to attacks on warehouses
In the first quarter of 2026, the number of applications for debt restructuring of SMEs decreased by about 16% compared to the end of 2025, to 66 thousand, according to the Central Bank. At the same time, about 14 thousand requests were for credit holidays, and 52 thousand were for banks' own programs (for example, the opportunity to reduce payments by extending the term).
In the second half of the year, the number of applications for debt relief is likely to increase. According to Alexey Voylukov, an MBA professor of business practice in digital finance at the Presidential Academy, growth may be in the order of 20-25%. This will be affected by both measures to support affected sellers and seasonality. Economist Olga Gogaladze agreed with him.
According to the financial advisor and founder of Rodin.Alexey Rodin's Capital, the number of applications will grow even more — by 30%.
As reported to Izvestia by the press service of Sber, the bank has already received about 2 thousand applications for loan restructuring from affected entrepreneurs. Now the financial institution provides comprehensive access to financial, legal, accounting, tax and consulting services to help companies minimize the consequences and save business, they noted.
In July, VTB launched support measures for Wildberries sellers, including deferral of repayment of principal and interest on existing loans, the financial organization said. As of August 5, the bank has received requests for loan restructuring of more than 200 million rubles and is considering them individually. Izvestia asked the other major credit organizations about what support measures they are ready to offer to the affected businessmen.
The exact number of sellers affected by drone attacks is currently unknown. The press service of Wildberries & Russ (RWB) stated earlier that the company had conducted several stages of payments to such entrepreneurs. The first tranche included more than 88,000 businessmen. And the second stage has already included over 97 thousand representatives of small and medium-sized businesses.
For borrowers with a significant credit burden, assistance in debt restructuring is one of the most effective measures, said Pavel Samiev, Chairman of the Opora Russia Committee on financial markets and CEO of Businessdrom. Deferred payments and a change in repayment schedule will be especially in demand for companies. For an entrepreneur who has lost a product or is temporarily faced with logistical disruptions, the problem arises immediately: revenue decreases or disappears, while loan payments, salaries, rent, taxes and purchases remain. Therefore, the main task for the business at the first stage is to close the cash gap and get time to recover, Olga Gogaladze added.
How to help sellers affected by attacks on Wildberries
Restructuring only helps with debt. Postponing payments by itself does not compensate for lost goods. If an entrepreneur has lost several million rubles worth of products, these funds will not be refunded during the loan holidays, Olga Gogaladze emphasized. They are just a way not to increase the burden on a viable company during the recovery period, the specialist explained.
Therefore, the affected business may need other support measures: tax deferrals, preferential loans to replenish working capital, and a clear compensation mechanism from marketplaces. On August 6, State Secretary and Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Sazanov said that the Cabinet was considering the possibility of introducing tax preferences for affected entrepreneurs. The timing of the benefits will depend on the amount of damage and the assessment of the company's future solvency.
As explained to Izvestia in RWB, WB Bank and MKK "WB Finance" (issues loans to sellers) automatically connected credit holidays to all sellers, representatives of SMEs, whose business suffered as a result of attacks on Wildberries logistics centers. Thus, customers have received a free deferral on all loans and borrowings — payments on the principal debt and interest accrual have been frozen for three months.
According to Alexey Rodin from Rodin.According to Capital, banks as a whole will be able to cope with the growing number of requests for restructuring. Credit institutions have a margin of safety, and a gradual reduction in the key rate creates additional conditions for mitigating borrowers' debt burden.
It is more profitable for banks to help businesses keep their jobs and return money in the future than to immediately proceed to debt collection, which can take a long time and require additional costs, explained Alexey Voylukov.
Therefore, they will actively implement the recommendations of the Central Bank, but such support has a time frame, said Oleg Abelev, head of the analytical department of the investment company Rikom-Trust. According to him, if during the restructuring period the business is unable to regain momentum and resume full-fledged debt servicing, the creditor may proceed to debt collection in court. In this case, the banks' ability to further support the borrower will be limited.
The speed of business recovery after losses will depend on the characteristics of a particular seller, said Alexey Nezhivoy, head of the operational headquarters of the independent trade union Novy Trud. It may take several months for a small seller with a limited assortment to return to their previous work volumes. However, companies that depend on seasonal demand, import supplies, have a high debt burden or have completely lost working capital may need a year or more to recover, he added.
Therefore, the support of companies should not be limited to a formal deferral of payments for a fixed period for everyone, said Alexey Nezhivoy. A more effective solution may be individual debt restructuring, taking into account the actual work cycle of each enterprise, as well as a set of other support measures.
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