Selling Vaping Devices Online? Well-Known Russian E-Commerce Platform Under Investigation

The Moscow Regional Prosecutor's Office is investigating whether Wildberries, a well-known Russian e-commerce platform, is selling e-cigarettes in response to inquiries from lawmakers.

According to a report by the Russian Economic Newspaper on October 11, the Moscow Regional Prosecutor's Office will investigate whether the operator of the Wildberries e-commerce platform is selling e-cigarettes, in response to inquiries from Russian Federation lawmaker Sultan Hamzaev.

At the end of September this year, Hamzaev requested the Russian Attorney General Igor Krasnov to investigate whether Wildberries, the largest e-commerce platform in Russia, was selling e-cigarettes.

Hamzaev pointed out that despite the prohibition on the sale of these products, a large number of e-cigarette devices and e-liquids still appeared on the website. A representative from Wildberries responded that selling such products violates their regulations, and they claimed that if any sellers engage in false advertising, they would promptly remove the corresponding products from the platform.

Hamzaev stated that the unrestricted sale of e-cigarettes through online platforms has led to minors purchasing such products. In April of this year, the Russian State Duma passed a law prohibiting the sale of e-liquid for e-cigarettes. The final version of the law stipulates that the government has the authority to formulate a "list of substances and additives," and adding to this list would make the sale of e-cigarettes impossible.