Russian e-commerce site bans teenage warehouse workers after drone attack kills 16-year-old

The Russian e-commerce company Ozon has barred workers under 18 from taking shifts at its warehouses in the cities of Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, and Ufa, independent outlet Verstka reports. The move was reported in the wake of a Ukrainian strike on the company’s Belgorod site that killed a deaf 16-year-old.

According to Verstka, employees younger than 18 said they have been unable to book shifts at the affected warehouses since late August. In a chat group for staff at the Ufa facility, underage workers asked when shifts would reopen to them; other employees reportedly replied that the restriction would remain in place for an “unspecified period”.

The support service for Ozon’s gig work platform, Ozon Job, confirmed the restriction to employees who spoke with Verstka, saying it would not affect workers’ internal ratings. “As of 27 August in Ufa, and 1 September in Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk, it is not technically possible to book new shift slots for underage users,” a support representative said, according to Verstka. “Existing bookings will also be cancelled, so we ask you not to come to the site.”

On 30 August, Ukrainian forces struck Ozon’s logistics hub in Belgorod, killing two people, including a 16-year-old deaf schoolboy who had taken a summer job with the retailer.