The Proekt publication published a list of businessmen whose enterprises are involved in the production of weapons for the army. The Dogs of War investigation says that half of Russia's billionaires are «one way or another» involved in the attack on Ukraine.
The investigators took as a basis the Forbes 2021 list, which included the 200 richest Russians. It has 121 billionaires, the rest are millionaires. The journalists studied the public procurement of companies associated with businessmen. They took a period of time starting from 2014, that is, from the annexation of Crimea.
The project concluded that 58 out of 121 billionaires during this time received contracts for the production of weapons, goods and services for the army and the National Guard, and also helped integrate the occupied territories of Ukraine into the Russian economy. In addition, 23 millionaires from the Forbes list collaborated with the army and defense enterprises.
So, for example, explosive components for FAB-500 bombs are produced by Uralchem and Sibur plants. The first belongs to Dmitry Mazepin, and the second belongs to Gennady Timchenko, To Leonid Mikhelson, ex-husband of Vladimir Putin's daughter To Kirill Shamalov, as well as several businessmen from Tatarstan — Airat and Radik Shaimiev, Rustem Sulteev and Albert Shigabutdinov. Investigators note that it was the FAB-500 bomb that the Russian army attacked the drama theater in Mariupol in March last year.
At the same time, as Proekt writes, only Timchenko and Shamalov are under all possible sanctions. Against the rest of the owners of Sibur, only certain countries introduced restrictions. For example, Radik Shaimiev and Rustem Sulteev are only on the sanctions list of Ukraine.
Most often, FAB-500 bombs are delivered by Su-25, Su-30 and Su-34 attack aircraft. Titanium from the VSMPO-Avisma plant is used for their production. It is owned by Mikhail Shelkov. His enterprises also supply metal for the production of small arms and Kalibr missiles, which Russia hit Vinnitsa with in July last year. Then 29 people died.
Aluminum is also used to make aerial bombs, which is produced by steel plants Viktor Vekselberg and Viktor Rashnikov. The latter received the title Hero of Labor from Putin in November 2022.
The investigation mentions Aleksey Mordashov, whose enterprise Severstal supplies rolled metal for the Kalashnikov concern, as well as the owners of factories producing parts for BMD-2 and BMD-4M — Igor Kesaev, Oleg Deripaska, Vladimir Evtushenkov and Viktor Vekselberg.
In March 2022, Irina Filkina, a resident of the occupied Bucha, was killed from a 2A42 automatic cannon mounted on a BMD-2, and makeup artist Anastasia Subacheva identified her by a manicure with red varnish a month later. Such weapons are produced by Tulamashzavod. Project journalists believe that its head, Valery Dautov, only nominally owns the enterprise. Its real owner is Arkady Rotenberg.
A number of businessmen provide other services to the Russian army and defense industry, for example, Alfastrakhovanie of Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, German Khan and Andrey Kosogov insures the property of the Kalashnikov concern, and Alfa-Bank until December 2022 credited the Tula Cartridge Plant, co-owned by Igor Rotenberg.
«Sogaz» of a close friend of Putin Yuri Kovalchuk< /span>, which, as the Financial Times journalists write, before the war “inspired the president with the idea of his historical mission”, insures employees of factories producing Caliber missiles and FAB-500 bombs. And his bank «Russia» provides loans to the concern «Kalashnikov».
Alisher Usmanov, the communications operator Megafon, whose co-owner is an oligarch who, according to Proyekt, left for Uzbekistan after the start of the war and «allows himself timid pacifist statements» — Alisher Usmanov — provides communications for rocket scientists, manufacturers of aircraft bombs and engines.
A number of businessmen from the «Project» list publicly deny their involvement in the Russian defense industry. For example, Vladimir Yevtushenkov. Alexey Mordashov in February last year called the invasion of Ukraine «a tragedy of two fraternal peoples.»
The shareholders of Alfa Group — Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, German Khan and Alexei Kuzmichev — turned to Russian public figures and oppositionists with a request to convince the leaders of the European Union to lift sanctions from them.
Oleg Deripaska, co-owner of Rusal's aluminum producer for defense enterprises, responded to a letter from Project journalists that he was not fulfilling contracts for the Russian army.
“Oleg Deripaska does not own or operate businesses related to the production or supply of weapons, military technology or any other products or services for the defense industry. A number of non-core military-industrial assets, including VPK LLC, which once belonged to the companies of Oleg Deripaska, were sold back in 2019, long before the start of a senseless war in Ukraine, ”the press service of the co-owner of Rusal reported.