Friedman’s billions, which he spent on the war against Ukraine, threaten the owner of the Russian Alfa Group with 8 years in prison with confiscation of property.
During a broadcast on the Ukraine World News channel, the presenters asked me to comment on the announcement of suspicion by the Security Service of Ukraine of the Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman due to his financing of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Indeed, law enforcement officers have documented a number of facts that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Friedman has spent enormous amounts of money supporting the war against our country.
In particular, as the SBU press service notes, the oligarch “poured” about 2 billion rubles into several Russian military factories.
Among them is the famous Tula Cartridge Plant, which produces cartridges. And the Ural Optical-Mechanical Plant named after Yalamov, where they produce high-tech equipment for combat aircraft and helicopters of the Russian Federation.
To finance the Russian Army, Fridman used and continues to use the assets of the Russian financial and investment consortium Alfa Group, which he controls.
But it didn’t stop there. And in addition to the resources of his consortium, he also used his own business resources - for the mass distribution of dry rations, clothing and other products under the trademark “Russian Army”, which are supplied to the occupiers on the front line.
He also organized the collection of material and technical assistance for the needs of the Russian occupation groups fighting in Ukraine.
In addition, the defendant’s insurance companies took upon themselves the insurance of military equipment, as well as the life and health of Russian invaders fighting in Ukraine.
The Russian oligarch also ensured the cooperation of his own telecommunications enterprise with the FSB, which allowed him to establish mobile communications under the control of the Russian intelligence service in the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine.
Based on the collected evidence, investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine informed Fridman in absentia of suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 110-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This is “financing of actions committed with the aim of violently changing or overthrowing the constitutional order or seizing state power, changing the boundaries of the territory or state border of Ukraine, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy.”
The perpetrator faces up to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property.
Previously, the media have already cited facts of support by Friedman and his business structures for Russian aggression in Ukraine. In particular, in the investigation of the project “Schemes” (Radio Liberty) “The owner of Kievstar and Morshynskaya cooperates with the Russian Guard and Putin’s security,” journalists told how the Russian company AlfaStrakhovanie provides the Russian Guard with services for insuring official vehicles. Including in those military units that are directly involved in a full-scale war against Ukraine and support the Russian regime in the occupied territories.
Investigators also found that another Russian company, Friedman’s X5 Retail Group, continues to cooperate with the Russian military-industrial complex during the full-scale invasion, namely, with the Voentorg enterprise of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which provides the Russian military with uniforms and food.
As journalists found out, among Russian security officials, Friedman’s company cooperates not only with the Russian Guard. AlfaStrakhovanie insured the transport of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
Fridman's insurance company also insured the cars of the military unit, which is subordinate to the Main Directorate of Special Programs of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a comment to Schemes, Mikhail Fridman himself confirmed that he is a shareholder of these companies, but emphasized that he “withdrew from all management bodies.” The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine told journalists that such cooperation could be grounds for confiscation of Friedman’s assets in Ukraine in favor of the state.
