In addition, the group controls an entire business empire in Ukraine, including the Zaporizhia-based Dniprospetsstal.
Investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation, under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office, are conducting a pre-trial investigation into a group of Russian citizens close to the aggressor country's leadership who acquired critical infrastructure assets and other commercial facilities in Ukraine. This is stated in the joint investigation of “Schemes” (Radio Liberty) and the Scanner Project.
The purpose of this group is to misappropriate property and commit “criminal organization” Luzhniki “, represented by the financial-industrial group VS Energy, intentional actions by prior conspiracy of a group of persons, with the intention of changing the territory or state border of Ukraine and violating the Constitution of Ukraine.” .
“We have an investigative version that is being investigated. That a group of citizens of the Russian Federation, close to the leadership of the aggressor country, acquired critical infrastructure assets and other commercial facilities on the territory of Ukraine by committing certain transactions and machinations. We are checking all these circumstances. Currently, the pre-trial investigation is underway under five articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, “Prosecutor General of the Prosecutor General's Office Roman Tulin told Radio Svoboda.
According to the DBR, are citizens of the Russian Federation Alexander Babakov, Eugene Giner and Mikhail Voevodin.
According to media reports, Babakov, Giner and Voevodin control an entire business empire in Ukraine – a hotel chain, a bank, industrial enterprises and a number of critical infrastructure facilities – five oblenergos that supply electricity to the homes of millions of Ukrainians in several oblasts. In particular, these are “Khersonoblenergo”, “Kirovogradoblenergo”, “Zhytomyroblenergo”, “Rivneoblenergo”, “Chernivtsioblenergo”.
Energy International Ukraine “ (VS Energy ). The company is registered to EU citizens. Among them, in particular, German citizen Marina Yaroslavskaya, who is called the wife of Eugene Giner, and Latvian citizen Valts Wigants, who was a trustee of Alexander Babakov.
The same three citizens Russia, close to the Kremlin, controls the Zaporozhye enterprise “Dniprospetsstal” – a large plant specializing in the production of special steel, and a chain of hotels across the country – Premier Hotels & Resorts, including five-star “Premier Palace” in Kiev and “Prem” “Yer Hotel” in Odessa.
Hotels and a controlling stake in the plant, according to Youcontrol, recorded for Natalia Selivanova – the civilian wife of Mikhail Voevodin.
According to the NBU, as of January 1, 2022, Russian citizen Eugene Giner owned 88.9% of the shares of the First Investment Bank.
Alexander Babakov – Deputy Chairman of the State Duma. It is under sanctions from Ukraine, the EU and the United States. In April 2022, the US Department of Justice accused Babakov of conspiring to influence US policy in the interests of Russia. Babakov came under European sanctions because in 2014 he voted for the illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea. Ukraine also imposed indefinite sanctions on him in 2018.
Eugene Giner is the president of the Russian football club CSKA (Central Sports Club of the Army), which is under US sanctions. Giner is also a partner of the Russian state corporation Rostech, which produces and exports high-tech industrial products for civil and military purposes. It is led by former FSB officer Sergei Chemezov, a longtime friend and ally of Putin.
Mikhail Voevodin, according to Interpol, has the status of a so-called “thief in law.” This is evidenced by the document available to the “Schemes”. His nickname “Misha Luzhnetskiy” is indicated in the Interpol card.
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Just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine , Khersonoblenergo was going to go to court over the company's accusations of belonging to Russian owners. The corresponding accusation was put forward by the deputy of the Kherson regional council Sergey Rybalko. The deputy did not cite examples, which, in his opinion, show that “Khersonoblenergo” is influenced by the ex-speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Alexander Babakov.
And in 2021 “Khersonoblenergo” accused of disrupting the holiday season in the Kherson region.
In 2020, journalists found the assets of the Medvedchuk-Marchenko couple in several of the above strategic assets controlled by VS Energy.
