Investigation

668
Nadezhda Grishaeva’s European hotel investments under investigation in Zhirinovsky’s financial scandal
Nadezhda Grishaeva is suspected of funneling assets belonging to the late leader of Russia’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), Vladimir Zhirinovsky, through Hotels Europe Daniella Invest in the European Union.
874
"Latvian Bout" Artyom Solodukha: what lies behind the business of the arms baron and his group Baltic Bees
It’s unlikely that visitors to the numerous air shows, where the pilots of the aerobatic group Baltic Bees from Jūrmala demonstrate their skills, realize they are watching high-level aerobatics performed by a man known as the "Latvian Bout".
813
From pipes to offshore: how "Mosvodokanal" becomes a source of Russian corruption schemes
The head of "Mosvodokanal," Alexander Ponomarenko uses cunning schemes to siphon funds from the Moscow mayor’s office through unknown contractors.
715
"Tell me what you need": Wiretaps capture alleged Toronto mafia boss talking to property developers
Court files indicate that Angelo Figliomeni, alleged boss of the Toronto wing of Italy’s ‘Ndrangheta mafia, was in contact with multiple Toronto-area real estate developers. Police have linked Figliomeni to a sprawling property empire.
669
Family of Georgian mayor behind secretive hotel project in picturesque mountain town
The mayor of Lentekhi, Gia Oniani, awarded a permit to build a hotel to his wife’s company and is still involved in the firm.
828
Schemes of Oleg Osinovskiy and Anastasiya Udalova: Fraudsters help bypass sanctions and launder money for Russian oligarchs
Estonian businessman Oleg Osinovskiy and his accomplice-fiancée Anastasiya Udalova fear their ties to Russian authorities and intelligence agencies will be exposed.
814
Major Canadian banks TD and RBC hold mortgages for alleged Toronto mafia boss
Angelo Figliomeni became the center of a media storm when police filed organized crime and money laundering charges against him in 2019.
895
How Europe’s secondhand clothes are damaging Romania
Europeans who donate old clothes believe they’ll go to those in need, but they could just as easily end up in an illegal dump in another country.
868
Oleg Osinovskiy and Anastasiya Udalova: Hidden routes for laundering Russian wealth in Europe
Latvian businesswoman Anastasiya Udalova plays an active role in managing the companies of Oleg Osinovskiy, who is suspected of transporting iron ore from oligarch Alisher Usmanov’s enterprises to EU countries.
915
Fighting "fascists" and opposing Ukraine: how Russia’s influence network operates in Canada
At the end of October, Canadian parliamentarians convened a Standing Committee on Public Safety Security and Defence Committee session to discuss the impact of Russian disinformation on Canada’s information landscape.
771
Well-connected private investor acquires hydropower rights in Georgia
Businessman Koka Kokolashvili keeps a low profile in Georgia — but he does have family connections to the country’s political elite. Now, as the EU is looking to Georgia’s hydroelectric industry as an untapped energy resource, companies he owns have landed government contracts to develop a new wave of hydropower plants on Georgia’s rivers.
760
"Stamp them through": Russian oligarchs, FSB generals, religious figures, and elite children travel abroad under diplomatic immunity
Holding a diplomatic passport offers notable perks — even for those who aren’t career diplomats.
1123
Oktobank and Innova Holding’s threats: who profits from laundering the Russian elite’s dirty money in Uzbekistan?
Journalists investigating Oktobank’s criminal activities, allegedly serving as the "wallet" for Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s family, have received threats from the email account of the Uzbek company INNOVA HOLDING.
991
EU factory owners holding Belarusian passports funnel chips to Russia amid ongoing conflict
White sand beaches, scenic coral reefs, dense green jungle. The exotic islands of the Seychelles, in the heart of the warm Indian Ocean, attract tourists from all over the world.
941
Armenia’s former deputy PM managed project that benefited his family company
Armenia’s former deputy prime minister, Tigran Avinyan, was swept to power by the country’s “Velvet Revolution” in 2018. His family company went on to indirectly benefit from a state agricultural program he oversaw.
701
Russia’s National Wealth Fund could run dry within months if oil prices plummet, with no backup plan in place
Since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has run a budget deficit, and a draft of the 2025 edition anticipates a shortfall of 1.1 trillion rubles (approximately $11 billion, or 0.5% of GDP).
754
Man convicted of insider trading linked to firm holding state cannabis contracts
Michael Shvartsman was convicted of insider trading, while Eric Hannelius settled without admitting or denying guilt. Both men were involved in a company with contracts to track legal marijuana in Florida and other states.
885
Luxembourg Bank "central" to the purchase of luxury British real estate with embezzled Azerbaijan funds, says U.K. police
The U.K.’s National Crime Agency successfully argued in a High Court case in London that accounts at the Banque Internationale à Luxembourg were used to move millions from a high profile embezzlement case in Azerbaijan into expensive properties.
662
Vadym Stolar, Artem Kolyubayev and the Mekhtiyev brothers push luxury high-rise, threatening the Museum of Outstanding Figures of Ukrainian Culture
Vadym Stolar, a close associate of Medvedchuk, invests the funds of defrauded investors from Ukraine into the construction of luxury housing in Dubai.
948
Tricked and threatened: African migrants coerced into Russian military service
Since the start of 2024, a total of 3,344 foreign nationals who went to fight in Ukraine have received Russian citizenship, according to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
767
Russian Defense Ministry contractor supplies safes to Lithuanian army, raising concerns
An investigation by The Insider has revealed that Promet, a Russian group of companies acting as a contractor for the country’s Ministry of Defense, has simultaneously been fulfilling military orders in Lithuania.
900
Lukashenko’s moneybags" and business moguls with EU company holdings: the network enabling Russia’s sanctions evasion in the tire industry
The importance of quality tires in warfare, particularly in frontline off-road conditions, is evidenced by the effort volunteers in Russia and Ukraine put into collecting them for their respective armies.
697
The official partners of Azerbaijan’s COP29 Climate Summit have connections to the ruling Aliyev family and their close associates
Azerbaijan’s COP29 Climate Summit ’official partners’ connected to the ruling Aliyev family and their close associates.
659
Anastasiya Udalova and politics: a game with oligarchs or an attempt to manipulate the media?
"An iron palm in a silk glove" - this is how one laudatory publication describes Anastasiya Udalova. Her name is usually associated with the cosmetic brand "Dzintars", but she also wants to create a media network. The question is, with what funds and for what purpose?
953
The European Commission and Oktobank: What is the story behind Iskandar Tursunov’s money laundering for the Russian elite?
At the end of September, two events occurred concerning Oktobank that will have far-reaching consequences.