Day by day, the battle for the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk turns into an more and more dramatic and bloody episode of the struggle, writes political strategist Andrey Zolotaryov on the Ukrainian information web site Apostrophe.ua. (https://apostrophe.ua/en/article/society/2024-11-28/dmitriy-nikolaev-professiya–marodr/60153) Based on studies from the Normal Workers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian forces make as much as 50 makes an attempt every day to interrupt via Ukrainian defences within the Pokrovsk space.
However few individuals know that the Russian authorities have a vested and money-minded motive to assault precisely Pokrovsk. The occupation of Pokrovsk has a selected beneficiary – Russian oligarch Dmitry Nikolaev, who goals of taking up Ukraine’s largest coking coal mining middle.
His firm “Stroyservice” JSC was positioned on the US sanctions lists, however this doesn’t stop Nikolaev from growing his enterprise, and that globally. We have now in our possession paperwork displaying that each banks from some Gulf nations and attorneys from the European Union willingly proceed to supply their companies to the sponsor of the offensive on Pokrovsk.
A recreation of conceal and search amid sanctions
In August 2024, the US Treasury Division’s web site printed the following set of sanctions towards authorized entities and people who assist the Russian Federation’s invasion in Ukraine and really sponsor this struggle. We usually observe the replace of the sanctions lists and gather detailed info relating to probably the most fascinating corporations and characters. We imagine that this may assist the competent authorities to struggle extra successfully not solely the exterior but in addition the interior enemy of Ukraine – corruption and traitors.
This time the thing of our investigation is Russian oligarch Nikolaev Dmitry Nikolaevich – sole proprietor of JSC “Stroyservice”, included within the sanctions checklist of OFAC (Workplace of International Belongings Management) dated August 23, 2024 along with an affiliated Cypriot firm Stroyservice Buying and selling Restricted (HE254132). Additionally on the web site of the Russian company registry there’s a warning that “Stroyservice” JSC is below US sanctions, so it’s dangerous to contact this firm in any format of relations.
Dmitry Nikolayev, who’s in Forbes’ checklist of richest world billionaires with a fortune of 1.8 billion {dollars}, is fascinating not solely as a result of he “feeds” Russia’s struggle of conquest with large taxes. His sponsorship is a sort of “funding”, which within the civilized world is often known as marauding.
Nikolaev, who has pursuits in metallurgy, is actively capitalizing on Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises positioned within the so-called “DNR” and “LNR”. For a similar motive, he’s very within the city of Pokrovsk – the one middle of coking coal manufacturing that is still below Ukrainian management. Based on our info, in case Pokrovsk is seized by the Russian military (we hope this is not going to occur), Nikolaev’s attorneys have already ready the mandatory documentation packages to switch the Personal Joint Inventory Firm «Pokrovskoye mine administration» below his possession.
Nonetheless, as a businessman, Dmitry Nikolaev, who’s principally wise, understands completely effectively that Putin’s bloody journey will in the end finish in failure, and it’s not very wise to place all of the “golden eggs” in a single harmful “basket”. That’s the reason he’s attempting to cover branches of his in depth enterprise from Western sanctions.
Particularly indicative on this regard was the current replace of the web site of “Stroyservice” JSC, which occurred shortly earlier than the publication of the following OFAC checklist. For those who take a look at the archives of the web site, robotically created by the Wayback Machine service, you possibly can see that as early as July 14, the web site contained a formidable checklist of corporations of the holding, specifically:
· “STROYSERVICE” JSC, TIN 4234001215
· “BARZASSKOYE PARTNERSHIP” LLC JV, TIN 4203000074
· “GUBAKHINSKIY COKE” JSC, TIN 5913004822
· “BEREZOVSKY OPEN-PIT MINE” LLC, TIN 4223035452
· “BELOVOPROMZHELDORTRANS” LLC, TIN 4202023632
· “COALMINE № 12” LLC, TIN 4220023963
· “BELTRANS” LLC, TIN 4202015913
· “PERMYAKOVSKIY OPEN-PIT MINE” LLC, TIN 4231003020
· “CAPITAL GRUPP” LLC, TIN 4205329788
· “BRIZANT” LLC, TIN 4205401177
· “STROYSERVICE” LLC JCS, TIN 4205408359
· “BREVY MANU” LLC, TIN 7713298978
· “CENTRAL PROCESSING PLANT BEREZOVSKAYA” JCS, TIN 4203001617.
Nonetheless, now the one factor left of this checklist is a five-line “Concerning the Firm” message, which doesn’t disclose any important information.
Nonetheless, such a “hide-and-seek recreation” within the trendy info world is an inefficient motion. And the very first thing we discovered was a doc confirming Nikolaev’s sole possession of JCS “STROYSERVICE”: it’s an extract from the register of shareholders, which reveals that the oligarch controls 88.89% of the corporate’s shares instantly, and the remaining 11.11% – via the corporate LLC JCS “STROYSERVICE”.
(illustration: https://drive.proton.me/urls/V26FM27QRM#zibmySIQkVPP)
The information of the bulk shareholder on this register coincide with the passport information of citizen Nikolayev D.N., as may be seen within the photograph under:
(illustration: https://drive.proton.me/urls/KEZE7APFC0#VgG9Uj4yivqM)
Nonetheless, the identical register of Russian authorized entities reveals that Nikolaev is attempting to cover many belongings extra reliably. To start with, about 70 p.c of the businesses one way or the other related with “Stroyservice” JSC are presently listed as liquidated or within the means of liquidation. Dmitry Nikolaev himself remained a nominal founding father of the one lively “Beltrans” LLC.
On 18.10.2024, he renamed different corporations, corresponding to “Central Processing Plant “Beryozovskaya” JSC (TIN 4203001617) – now it’s “Tsentralnoye” JSC – and re-registered them to his trusted individuals. The founders of “Beryozovskaya” are actually listed as Yurtov Egor Petrovich – business director of “Stroyservice“, in addition to Andrey Skovpen, authorized and property administration director of “Stroyservice” JSC.
(illustration: https://drive.proton.me/urls/02P16C626M#8ALu5AL5Dtzb)
However, as is widespread within the case of massive enterprise, such makes an attempt to cover belongings are just like the ostrich syndrome. By hiding the small “head” of his enterprise empire within the sand, Nikolaev left his large, sorry, ass unprotected and open to the world. And now, having studied the contents of this “sirloin half”, we discovered many extra fascinating issues.
From Moscow to Dubai
It will be naive to imagine that the belongings of an oligarch lively in overseas financial exercise are concentrated solely in Russia and the occupied territories.
At first, we tried to search for connections in China, which stays the Putin regime’s principal financial stronghold on the planet. However the good Chinese language are more and more cautious about ties with Russian enterprise, and they don’t seem to be the one ones. Even Kazakhstan is more and more tightening its sanctions screws, particularly relating to making funds within the pursuits of its belligerent neighbor.
Nonetheless, we managed to seek out two companies managed by Nikolaev in China, or somewhat, within the economically freer Hong Kong. However the principle “gates” for getting into the worldwide market are actually positioned in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. And in Bahrain the oligarch tries to cover primarily his private, household funds, whereas Abu Dhabi and Dubai have develop into handy harbors for export operations of the under-sanctioned “Stroyservice”. These conclusions are confirmed by particular paperwork.
Thus, within the Emirates, based on our info, Dmitry Nikolaev totally controls the corporate DVTC TRADING L.L.C-FZ, a duplicate of its license is offered under.
(illustration https://drive.proton.me/urls/V341V0RQNG#PbGts77BfT3Y)
The supervisor of this firm is a Cypriot citizen Andreas Zambas, a lawyer of Dmitry Nikolaev. This individual formally works within the Cypriot construction of “Stroyservice” – the aforementioned Stroyservice Buying and selling Restricted, which can be on the US sanctions checklist. It’s noteworthy that this firm is registered at a long-known tackle of mass registrations of companies related to Russia: Ground 2, Flat 204, 25 Afroditis, 1060 Nicosia. No less than 5 companies registered on the identical tackle are talked about within the well-known “Panama archive”.
We managed to acquire copies of each Andreas Zambas’ passport and Dmitry Nikolaev’s personal residence allow (resident ID card) in Dubai. The scans of those paperwork are printed under, and one vital element ought to be famous. Nikolaev’s ID-card, which provides him the suitable to legally reside within the UAE, states that he’s an worker of DVTC TRADING L.L.C-FZ. Actually, it’s merely an organization owned by Nikolaev, with a Cypriot lawyer as its nominal director.
(illustrations: https://drive.proton.me/urls/G373RRZRRG#9dJmNkSbVFfo
https://drive.proton.me/urls/DFDD92ATX0#EWAxX6Robcvp
https://drive.proton.me/urls/X4WNZJA9K4#oc2vk4VcAEX8 )
One other firm, which can be owned by Dmitry Nikolaev and is utilized by him, extremely probably, to withdraw cash out of Russia and reduce taxes, is known as Vitelia Commerce Restricted. It’s registered in Hong Kong, and the copy of the certificates of possession under reveals that Nikolaev is the only proprietor of this firm.
(illustration: https://drive.proton.me/urls/WTWWBV2234#XchmMwrE0vM2 )
Additionally Vittolia Сompany Restricted (firm No. 3144395) is registered there, in Hong Kong, an organization managed by the son of a Russian oligarch Igor Nikolaev (pictured on the suitable) and a number of other different seconded staff of “Stroyservice”.
(illustration: https://drive.proton.me/urls/DSYNYT4PXC#7T5rpVIba2Iv )
Based on the Dun& Bradstreet registry, the director is Andrei Belkov. An individual with the identical first and final title is listed because the writer of a scientific article on the web site of the Russian “Lenin” library, and his place can be indicated there: head of the gross sales division of CJCS “Stroyservice”.
As we discovered, he’s the deputy of the aforementioned Yurtov and the worker closest to Nikolaev himself; he’s positioned within the oligarch’s Dubai workplace, educating Nikolaev Jr. to work. Different staff of “Stroyservice” additionally work in the identical Vittolia Сompany Restricted: Denis Davydov, Mikhail Rodin, Vladimir Morozov. Additionally it is fascinating that the corporate created its profile on the HeadHunter platform to seek for staff within the UAE. The web site of this firm additionally unexpectedly went down instantly after the imposition of sanctions, however the surviving copies within the internet archives point out that Vittolia Сompany Restricted imports coking coal from Russia. Together with coal stolen from the Ukrainian subsoil, exported from the occupied territories. It’s no coincidence that within the checklist of Black Sea ports from which Vittolia affords its clients to ship coal, the primary locations are “Port of Taganrog, Port Kavkaz, Port of Taman” – these closest to the Donbass, to the captured mines.
It’s merely wonderful how, given such apparent, direct connections, sanctions towards Dmitry Nikolaev had been restricted to only two corporations? Along with the DVTC, Vitelia, Vittolia listed above, we discovered a number of extra, for which we additionally started gathering paperwork. These are, particularly, such corporations as:AMANI TRADING W.L.L.Tramada DMCCGREENPINE SUPPLY CHAINMonolink Group-FZCO,SAVVY TRADING LIMITED
Right here, for instance, is a contract for a fee for sea transportation brokerage between the businesses SAVVY TRADING LIMITED (Hong Kong, dealer) and Monolink Group-FZCO (UAE, buyer). It refers back to the constitution of a ship below the Panama flag, apparently for the transportation of sanctioned Russian coal, probably even from the occupied areas of Ukraine:
(illustration: https://drive.proton.me/urls/CMG3KPEPGM#4t0IyaU0kqy1 )
The next doc is an bill from the Dubai firm Tramada DMCC, issued as an possibility for the acquisition of coal from the Dubai firm Monolink Group-FZCO, managed, as we imagine, by Nikolaev:
(illustration: https://drive.proton.me/urls/1ZZB48F40M#inO0nh4xumU7 )
It’s unusual that consultants from the US Treasury haven’t but paid consideration to them. Or do they not have sufficient proof but? So allow them to contact us, we’d be completely happy to assist!
“Tentacles” stretch to Ukraine
In the meantime, sanctions have gotten more and more tough to bypass, and Nikolaev is arising with new methods. Actually a month earlier than showing on the OFAC checklist, on September 19, 2024, he registered the corporate “AVK-Expedition” below his present worker Alexander Viktorovich Kochukov (TIN 9705231589). On the “Stroyservice” firm, this newly-emerged businessman holds the modest place of deputy business director for logistics.
We additionally had at our disposal a complete collection of agreements indicating that after the imposition of sanctions, “Stroyservice” JSC started to actively promote its merchandise via the corporate “NORD TRADE” LLC, TIN 7000002988. We have now not but discovered direct proof of Nikolaev’s participation on this firm, however what’s noteworthy is that instantly after the imposition of sanctions, nearly all corporations beforehand designated as “subsidiaries” on the web site of “Stroyservice” JSC entered into agreements with this new middleman. Listed here are the numbers of some agreements:
№ 2583730 from 27.08.2024 with “Barzasskoye partnership” LLC JV,
№ 2583604 from 27.08.2024 with “Coalmine №12” LLC,
№ 2644520 from 30.09.2024 with “Stroyservice” JSC.
“NORD TRADE” LLC concluded comparable contracts with the offshore corporations listed above, which, as we assume, are additionally managed by Nikolaev.№ NT-DV-01 from 27.08.2024 with DVTC Buying and selling L.L.C-FZ ,№ NT-AM-01 from 10.09.2024 with AMANI TRADING W.L.L.,№ NT-VIT-01 from 27.08.2024 with Vittolia Firm Restricted,№ NT-TR-01 from 27.08.2024 with Tramada DMCC ,№ NT-GP-01 from 27.08.2024 with GREENPINE SUPPLY CHAIN.
By creating such a large community of middleman corporations around the globe, oligarch Nikolaev is outwardly fulfilling the mission assigned to him by the Kremlin: to search for methods to export Russian coal and metallic bypassing sanctions. That’s what Nikolaev, apparently, was promised a beneficiant “handout” within the type of the “Pokrovskoye” mine administration.
Nonetheless, what is particularly fascinating is that some residents of Ukraine might also be Nikolaev’s allies on this marauding enterprise.
Whereas learning corporations affiliated with the oligarch, we observed that the founders of considered one of them, “BREVI MANU” LLC (TIN 7713298978), consists of the Cyprus holding GRAINFUL HOLDING LTD. Our colleagues from the SokalINFO publication prompt a 12 months in the past that the odious Ukrainian businessman Pavel Fuks could possibly be hiding behind this offshore firm. And so, because it turned out, together with Dmitry Nikolaev, Mr. Fuks has his personal curiosity in an organization within the Russian Federation. Miracles, and that’s all!
As well as, Dmitry Nikolaev’s secret foyer in Ukraine will also be carried out via his Cypriot lawyer Andreas Zambas. Not way back, we witnessed a significant scandal during which the top of Dragon Capital, Tomas Fiala, grew to become concerned after President Vladimir Zelensky added his adviser, additionally a Cypriot lawyer, Andreas Sofocleous, to the sanctions checklist. We fastidiously studied the biography of this character, and found that proper as much as the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he actively collaborated… with Russian metallurgists and the mining trade! Thus, its information is contained within the annual studies of the “Polymetal” group of corporations, which conducts subsoil improvement within the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. That’s, figuratively talking, the attorneys of Nikolaev and Fiala are Cypriots of “Russian origin”.
Are there no sanctions for an exquisite life?
Along with paperwork associated to Nikolaev’s enterprise, we obtained many fascinating papers indicating his non-public life-style, standing and habits.
Particularly, Dmitry Nikolaev prefers to journey round Russia, in addition to fly to Kazakhstan, Bahrain and the UAE, on luxurious enterprise jets. On common, for one flight inside Russia alone, he pays 8-9 million rubles (90 thousand {dollars} on the present trade price). Listed here are examples of contracts for personal air transportation concluded within the pursuits of passenger D.N. Nikolaev.
(illustrations:
https://drive.proton.me/urls/Z541ZQZ5CR#3xDTGWw6JT0b
https://drive.proton.me/urls/B27Q8Y38TG#amHOU5fSvLMC
https://drive.proton.me/urls/BP981PG9DG#t0pYqRg8SQWt
https://drive.proton.me/urls/AF074T1MAR#JJ4HQ8BqRhtB )
Based on our info, Dmitry Nikolaev orders non-public jets not less than 4-5 occasions a month, spending greater than $400,000 on it.
As for different bills, Nikolaev isn’t any totally different from different Russian oligarchs who earn cash of their homeland, however desire to retailer and spend it overseas, in case Putin will lose. As we’ve got already famous, he prefers to stay within the wealthy, scorching nations of the Persian Gulf and, regardless of the sanctions, doesn’t deny himself something there. Furthermore, banks in Bahrain and Dubai serve him as a VIP consumer, with out asking pointless questions concerning the origin of the funds.
As we discovered, Nikolaev personally and his corporations have opened many accounts in such massive and revered banks of the Persian Gulf nations as EMIRATES NBD BANK PJSC, HDFC BANK, Banque Misr – Gulf Branches. And even after the introduction of US sanctions towards “Stroyservice”, these banks didn’t cease servicing the capital of the Russian oligarch: his accounts within the Emirate of Dubai and the Kingdom of Bahrain had been nonetheless working as earlier than. Has corruption actually penetrated into such apparently affluent nations?..
For instance, on January 18, 2023, the quantity of $24,807,101 was transferred to the account of his spouse Tatyana Nikolaeva at HDFC Financial institution (Bahrain). And this is just one documented translation! As you perceive, the stakes on Putin usually are not nice, since tens, and probably tons of of tens of millions are stored exterior the Russian Federation.
(illustration: https://drive.proton.me/urls/S7XF1YPJTC#dQwkmmloGBuq )
And listed here are three extra transfers from Nikolaev to his private non-public banking account at Emirates NBD Financial institution (Dubai) – for 3, 5 and eight million {dollars}. We additionally put up a couple of extra examples of overseas accounts of Nikolaev that we had been capable of acquire.
Фото: undefined
(illustrations: https://drive.proton.me/urls/ZDQPCNXNGM#lx15LIE3c4Sl
https://drive.proton.me/urls/03VPCZ0TS8#QjkJ1O7FJaqX
https://drive.proton.me/urls/Z72CJ6Z5QR#8rnafxWCxEne )
It’s clear that solely a choose few are allowed to usually withdraw such quantities from the Russian financial system. Over the course of two and a half years, across the struggle of conquest unleashed by Putin, a complete “group” {of professional} large marauders was shaped – corresponding to Dmitry Nikolaev.
So long as they sponsor the so-called “SVO” (so-called “particular navy operation”), the Kremlin magnanimously turns a blind eye to their theft inside Russia, to their off-shores, and to the billions of {dollars} flowing into these off-shores. However observe reveals that for each “favourite” within the Russian Federation, in the end there may be an much more “favourite”. And whereas our troopers are defending Pokrovsk, Nikolaev could be pushed away from the “sinecure”.
Writer: Andrey Zolotaryov, political strategist
Title image credit score: international.espreso