Prohibited Products on Marketplaces

On Russian marketplaces, it is prohibited to sell alcohol, tobacco, weapons, drugs, prescription medications, hazardous chemicals, and counterfeit goods. Violators face fines from 25,000 to 300,000 rubles and risk having their account permanently banned. Restrictions apply simultaneously on two grounds: federal legislation of the Russian Federation and the EAEU, as well as the internal rules of each specific platform.

What products are prohibited for sale on all marketplaces?

Prohibited products are categories of goods whose sale is restricted by the legislation of the Russian Federation and the EAEU. Such restrictions apply equally on Wildberries, Ozon, Yandex Market, and any other Russian platform—regardless of the specific site's internal rules. The seller bears responsibility on both grounds simultaneously: violation of the law and violation of the platform's offer.

Alcohol and tobacco. The sale of any alcohol is completely prohibited: beer, wine, cognac, ethyl alcohol, and alcohol-containing mixtures. Even alcohol wipes with an alcohol concentration above 25% fall under the ban. Tobacco and nicotine products are prohibited in any form: cigarettes, sticks, electronic cigarettes, nicotine-free liquids, tobacco heating devices, and their accessories.

Weapons and self-defense tools. It is forbidden to sell firearms, gas weapons, signal weapons, bladed weapons, throwing weapons, essential weapon parts, silencers, and ammunition. Pepper spray, stun guns, and tactical pens are also banned. Even souvenir weapons may be blocked.

Drugs, psychotropic substances, and hazardous chemicals. Any drugs, psychotropic substances, and plant-based products are prohibited: hemp seeds, hemp kernels, products with fly agaric and morning glory seeds, pure hemp oil. Banned chemicals include sulfuric, nitric, hydrofluoric, and perchloric acids, hydrochloric acid with a concentration above 16%, formic acid above 86%, formalin, industrial solvents, and chlorine-based disinfectants.

Prescription medications and pyrotechnics. Prescription drugs are prohibited because their sale requires a pharmaceutical license. Pyrotechnics are completely banned: firecrackers, fireworks, sparklers, party poppers. Along with them, lighters, gas canisters, matches, and flammable liquids cannot be sold.

Counterfeit goods and intellectual property violations. Counterfeit goods are products that use someone else's brand, logo, or design without the copyright holder's permission. This includes copies of well-known brands, products with an altered but recognizable logo, and repackaged goods without confirmed rights. The seller must confirm the right to use the trademark with a registration certificate or a filed application.

Other categories. Also prohibited are furs and skins of rare animals without manufacturer markings, jewelry without a manufacturer's hallmark (except Russian silver), extremist materials under Article 13 of Federal Law No. 114-FZ, live animals, road signs, funeral products, and GPS jamming devices.

Each platform has its own additional restrictions, which may be updated without separate notice. The current list should be checked in the seller dashboard of the chosen platform before starting sales.

What documents are needed for legal sales?

Under the legislation of Russia and the EAEU, products cannot be sold without permits—neither online nor offline. The absence of a required document automatically makes the product prohibited for sale, even if the product itself is not on any prohibition list.

Mandatory Certificate of Conformity (TR CU) is required for toys (TR CU 008/2011), children's clothing (TR CU 007/2011), household appliances and electronics (TR CU 004/2011, TR CU 020/2011). The certificate is issued by an accredited body for serial production for a period of 1 to 5 years or for a specific batch of goods.

Declaration of Conformity under TR CU is mandatory for food products (TR CU 021/2011), adult clothing except underwear (TR CU 017/2011), cosmetics and perfumes (TR CU 009/2011). It is registered by the manufacturer or supplier themselves after tests in an accredited laboratory—this is not the same as a certificate and follows a different procedure.

Certificate of State Registration (SGR) under the Customs Union Commission Decision No. 299 of 28.05.2010 is required for household chemicals, disinfectants, and deratization agents.

For labeled goods, a "Chestny ZNAK" code is additionally mandatory. A product without a valid Data Matrix marking is automatically blocked at the product listing creation stage—before it even arrives at the warehouse.

What are the fines for selling prohibited products on Wildberries, Ozon, and Yandex Market?

Each platform has its own logic for sanctions. Wildberries deducts money directly from the seller's balance. Ozon operates through a system of penalty points: when 1,200 points are accumulated, the store is blocked; for gross violations, it is blocked indefinitely. Yandex Market less frequently applies monetary fines; its main tool is the quality index: if it falls below 95%, the platform limits the number of orders or completely stops the store's operation.

Before launching any product, it is worth going through three verification stages:

ensure the category is not subject to a federal ban,

obtain all necessary permits,

check the product against the specific marketplace's internal list.

This procedure takes from a few days to 2–3 weeks depending on the category but completely eliminates the risk of fines and blocking.

Platform rules are updated—sometimes without separate notice to sellers. Therefore, it is worth checking the current list of prohibited categories in the seller dashboard not only at the start but also during operations, especially when introducing new products.

Frequently Asked Questions

I bought a product from a supplier with documents—can I still get a fine?

Yes, you can. The marketplace checks the documents independently and has the right to deem them insufficient or invalid. The supplier's certificate does not always cover the reseller—sometimes documents need to be re-issued for your own legal entity.

Are there products that are allowed on one marketplace but prohibited on another?

Yes. For example, Ozon may allow medical devices of the 2nd risk class with a registration certificate, while Wildberries restricts this category more strictly. The internal rules of the platforms differ, so a single federal permit is not enough—you need to check the offer of the specific platform.

Do the prohibitions apply to self-employed sellers?

Yes, in full. Self-employed status does not provide any leniency regarding the list of prohibited products. Category restrictions and documentation requirements are the same for self-employed individuals, sole proprietors, and legal entities.