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The group is also developing three other businesses that will operate under their own distinctive individual brands:
● Toloka AI, a data partner for all stages of generative AI development, from training to evaluation;
● TripleTen, a leading edtech player in the US and other markets, re-skilling people for careers in tech;
● Avride, one of the most experienced teams developing autonomous driving technology for self-driving cars and delivery robots.
● Ozon
Russian marketplaces and foreign sellers have encountered problems with the delivery of goods from China due to problems with payments, Kommersant writes , citing the Ozon press service and sources in the online sales market. The problems are related to the difficulties in the internal control procedure of counterparties on the part of foreign banks (including Chinese banks). In addition, the situation is aggravated by the EU ban on the use of the Russian analogue of the international SWIFT system – the Financial Message Transfer System (FMS). At the same time, problems with the delivery of expensive equipment may be related to the duty-free import threshold for goods in Russia. Since April, the duty-free import threshold for individuals has been 200 euros, after 1,000 euros before. CDEK.Shopping Commercial Director Roman Khvaliun told the newspaper that in June, sales of foreign electronics fell by 16% compared to March due to the lowering of the duty-free import threshold.
● Wildberries
The mysterious merger of the Wildberries marketplace with the outdoor advertising operator Russ, approved by Vladimir Putin, turned into a Shakespearean drama involving Ramzan Kadyrov. The co-owner of the company, Vladislav Bakalchuk, asked Kadyrov for help, saying that his wife Tatyana “left home and got involved with an incomprehensible company” that is now squeezing their business. Kadyrov promised to help, threatening the “well-known Caucasians” involved in the seizure—that is, Suleiman Kerimov, allegedly behind Russ. Tatyana Bakalchuk herself states that there is no seizure, and the whole point is about her divorce from her husband.
Kadyrov, in response, is indignant at people who “destroy a family that has seven children,” says that he “does not consider them people,” and calls them “devils.” “They must return these assets home, the wife must return home,” says Kadyrov and promises Bakalchuk: “I am with you until the end, just like 10
228 RUSSIA Country Report August 2024 www.intellinews.com