The Bank of Russia has issued an informational letter recommending that banks approve requests to modify loan agreements from small and medium-sized enterprises affected by attacks on logistics centers. The letter specifies that it concerns "terrorist acts" at warehouses, production, retail and office premises.
Banks are advised to accommodate borrowers regardless of whether they have a legal right to a credit holiday. The regulator recommends treating such restructuring as a standalone support measure. Lenders are also urged to refrain from charging fines and penalties for late payments and not to demand early repayment of loans or higher interest rates.
The restructuring should not affect entrepreneurs' credit histories. Credit bureaus should not treat it as a factor worsening a borrower's assessment. The recommendations will remain in effect until August 31, 2027.
State-owned banks Sber and VTB, as well as Wildberries' settlement bank, Wildberries Bank, were the first to announce support for affected businesses. Sber said about 2,000 restructuring applications had already been submitted. VTB did not disclose the number of requests but said it had granted deferrals on principal and interest payments.
Since mid-July, Ukrainian drones have regularly attacked Wildberries logistics centers. According to The Bell's calculations, the company's direct losses from these strikes could exceed 100 billion rubles. Seller damages were estimated at 215–280 billion rubles in early August.