Russian oligarchs remained in the Ukrainian tobacco market even after the war - the investigation

This is stated in the investigation of the Project. The company of Russian oligarchs Igor Kesayev and Sergey Katsiyev began to work in Ukraine in 2010 under the brand "Megapolis-Ukraine". And a few years later she was able to control 99% of the sales market of cigarettes in the country, reported the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine. Boris Kaufman - the Odessa businessman, close to the family of President Viktor Yanukovych, became the junior partner of Kesayev and Katsiyev.

After the escape of Yanukovych from the country and the capture of part of Ukraine by Russian troops in "Megapolis-Ukraine" problems began. In 2015, the share of the Russian "metropolis" in the Ukrainian company was rewritten into chains of structures, which, in addition to Kaufman, stood two British-Richard Fenhalls and Richard Taylor-Daksbury. The company was also renamed - it became known as "Tedis Ukraine". The British never engaged in the "metropolis".

Richard Mark Taylor-Daksbury is a lawyer who represents client interests in civilian disputes who had a dog walking company. 81-year-old Richard Dorian Fenhalls was previously managed by banks, but was familiar with Kesayev. In 2009, the British advised Sibir Energy, in which the share belonged to Kesayev and which he sold Gazprom. In two months of consultation, the British received $ 11. 7 million. This information was confirmed by an unnamed source in Tedis.

In recent years, Tedis has become a person involved in several antitrust and then criminal cases. In 2022 and 2023, the Ukrainian court sent Kaufman twice to a pre -trial detention center, and both times he was backed up. And a new distributor-DL Solution, which not only received contracts with Western corporations, but also quickly took second place (after Tedis-Ukraine) on the market appeared on the market.

The director of the new company and chief accountant recently worked in Tedis-Ukraine, found for Forbes Ukraine. It is argued that the Ukrainian trading network that sells tobacco products - "Fortuna's Cigar House" is connected with Kesayev. "This company is formally controlled by Odessa businessmen previously related to the Party of Regions.

But the fact is that the same Ukrainians, together with the company "Metropolis" Kesayeva and Katsiyev, until July 2024, owned in Russia the same legal entity-"Fortuna's" cigar house ",-said investigators. Both businessmen began in the 1990s with cigarette and smuggling Alcohol. "Bristol", as well as Dixie supermarkets. Increasing contracts with Western companies from competitors. Dollars, Katsiyev was in 72nd from $ 1. 9 billion.

They are also associated with Vladimir Anisimov, the FSB General and the Patrushev Household, who at one time "became famous" with a fair operation in Beslan, when 300 hostages were killed during the assault. Since 2005, businessmen Kesayev and Katsiyev have become prominent players in a Russian defense defendant, traditionally related to special services. They took control of the Kowrov Military Plant. Degtyareva.

The chairman of the board of directors was the same Volodymyr Anisimov, the former adjutant Patrushev, and the board of the plant included other important security forces. On its site, the company indicates only civilian products - motorcycles and motorcycle.

But they also make a large caliber machine gun "KORD", a machine gun "Pecheneg", a tank machine gun Vladimirov, an anti-tank complex "Cornet" and the anti-aircraft missile complex "Arrow", as well as a whole line of other MAZRCs and grenade launchers. All these products are actively used by the Russian army during aggression against Ukraine. During the military 2022 and 2023, the plant increased its proceeds by 30% (now - 30 billion rubles).

In April 2022 - shortly after the war in Ukraine - Kesayev came under the sanctions of the European Union. He also attracted the attention of the Finnish special services when he bought the whole island of Kotasari for a Cypriot passport and secretly built a helicopter there. The agreement is now frozen and the passport is canceled. He even had to rename his gorgeous Sky and MySky yachts to totem and pearl respectively. Sergiy Katsiev spends more time in the United States.