Such data was presented at the conference “Russian Book Market 2026” by Vladimir Grigoriev, Director of the State Support Department for Periodicals and the Book Industry of the Russian Ministry of Digital Development.
Read more Expecting a visit from US envoys, at least three people were killed in Russian strikes in Ukraine
According to him, about 15 million publications were destroyed in total. However, Evgeny Kapiev, CEO of the Eksmo publishing house, stated that the number of lost books could reach as many as 20 million.
The Russian government is considering applying a reduced 5% value-added tax (VAT) rate to the book industry for one year. Publishers also propose reducing VAT on printed products, disallowing tax refunds for destroyed goods, and allowing the entire value of destroyed goods to be accounted as company expenses.
The Eksmo publishing house also proposes providing businesses with concessional loans for working capital.
“Now we need at least some precedent for the industry to be supported. Of course, a 5% VAT concession will not save the industry, but it would at least be some form of support,” said Boris Kuznetsov, head of the Rosman publishing house.
Strikes on trading platform warehouses
Ukrainian forces began striking the warehouses of Wildberries, Russia’s largest e-commerce platform, on July 18. Since then, according to Russian data, 23 warehouses in 16 regions have been attacked.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that it had completely shut down seven of the ten largest logistics centers of the platform. Among them is the largest one in the town of Koledino in the Moscow region, covering an area of 250 thousand square meters.
Since August 22, attacks by the Ukrainian army have also affected the warehouses of Ozon, the second largest Russian trading platform. At least seven facilities of this company were attacked in total.
Read more FAO: food prices worldwide have risen to the highest level since 2022
According to the analytics company Data Insight, direct infrastructure losses of Wildberries alone amounted to about 1.46–2.22 billion euros by mid-August. Meanwhile, platform sellers could have lost goods worth 4.42–5.04 billion euros.
The total damage suffered by Wildberries in this case could reach about 7.95 billion euros.
Ozon’s infrastructure losses due to the attacks, according to analysts, could amount to about 298–621 million euros, while platform sellers could have lost goods worth about 880 million–1.06 billion euros.
Ukraine explained the strikes by military needs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky explained the strikes on trading platform warehouses by stating that they were used to supply the Russian army.
Vladimir Putin, commenting on the attacks, said that they did not cause any “critical consequences” for Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on the attacks, said that they did not cause any “critical consequences” for Russia.
Later, he signed a decree allowing the temporary takeover of companies and facilities by the state if their owners failed to protect them from drone attacks.
Read more Thousands of people still postpone this examination: doctors revealed why it can be dangerous
