Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the conflict between Chechen head Ramzan Kadyrov and billionaire Suleiman Kerimov over the Wildberries company.
“We do not comment on this situation. If there are any threats, any citizen applies to law enforcement agencies, which in accordance with the law take the necessary measures. There can be no other comments here,” Peskov said (quoted by TASS).
Before that, on October 10, Kadyrov said at a meeting with Chechen law enforcers that Dagestan Senator Suleiman Kerimov and Duma deputies Bekkhan Barakhoyev and Rizvan Kurbanov were preparing an assassination attempt on him. In particular, he said, they were interested in finding the executor of his murder and the cost of this work. Kadyrov promised to declare a “blood feud” against them if all three failed to prove their innocence. He also accused them of taking business away from Wildberries founder Tatiana Kim (Bakalchuk).
Kerimov did not comment on Kadyrov’s words. However, the head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, assured against this background that the republic is always ready to support him. “Our strength lies in unity, and attempts to bring division only into the hands of our enemies,” Melikov emphasized.
The State Duma deputies mentioned by Kadyrov publicly rejected the accusations. “I officially declare that I have never participated in the preparation of the assassination of Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, and Almighty God is a witness to that. I have always had deep respect for the Kadyrov family,” Kurbanov said. Barakhoyev also said at a meeting with voters in the Ingush town of Malgobek that he had nothing to do with it and never had.
In June, Wildberries co-owners Tatiana Kim and Vladislav Bakalchuk clashed over the merger of the marketplace with Russ. Bakalchuk appealed to Kadyrov for help in settling the issue, who called what was happening a “raider seizure” and promised to help. At the same time, according to Dozhd, the deal to merge Wildberries and Russ was organized by Kerimov, who is a beneficiary of Russ Outdoor and was interested in the successful business of the marketplace.
In mid-September, Bakalchuk, led by a group of people, including Chechens, attempted to break into the Wildberiies office near the Kremlin. As a result, there was shooting. Two security guards died and seven other people were injured. Kadyrov called on all claims about the incident to be brought against him personally.
