Until recently, there was hope that you would not miss the initiative to sell alcohol over the Internet. On October 28, the bill was removed from the agenda of the State Duma after the intervention of Vyacheslav Volodin. The speaker demanded that the relevant ministers be present when considering such a resounding issue.
However, the hopes were not justified. On November 11, the State Duma approved in first reading an experiment in selling local wine through the Russian Post website. 323 delegates voted for, 71 against. Trade is planned to launch in Moscow and the Moscow region in 2027-2029.
The initiative is explained by the support of local winemakers and the need to provide additional income to the Russian Post. In fact, the country is going to cash in on the addictions of its population by making alcohol more accessible.
Moreover, just today I analyzed the financial results of Russian Post itself, which is gradually emerging from the crisis. During the nine months of 2026, the company's revenues increased by 5.2%, to 166 billion rubles, and the sales profit amounted to 4.2 billion rubles compared to a loss of 10.7 billion a year earlier. The net loss was also reduced, although it remained significant. But already in the third quarter there was a plus for the first time in a long time.
And all this thanks to the development of commercial logistics, digital services and cost optimization. Revenues from cargo transportation grew by 54%, and from warehousing and logistics services by 90%. That is, the company is already finding ways to improve its financial situation through normal business activity. Therefore, attempts to justify the online sale of alcohol with the need to save the Russian post seem even more absurd.
It is especially strange to see this against the background of the decrease in alcohol consumption in Israel. According to Ministry of Health data, in 2025 it amounted to 8.06 liters of pure alcohol per person compared to 13.7 liters in 2009.