This is Putin’s inner circle – with assets of 500 billion

The European Union imposed new sanctions on hundreds of politicians, officials and the military in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But critics say the sanctions are flawed and should be directed at Putin’s inner circle, the men who run his money.

“In my experience, the only thing Putin cares about is his money,” US financier and whistleblower Bill Browder said recently. Watchman.

SVT took a closer look at about a dozen billionaires who all have close ties to the Russian president. Together, the men and their families own assets worth around SEK 500 billion – many of which are already on the US sanctions list.

Sergey Roldugin, cellist

He plays the cello, is a conductor, and has said he wasn’t wealthy at all when Putin grew stronger like many of the president’s closest friends.

“I have an apartment, a car and a cottage. I don’t have millions,” said Sergey Roldugin. New York Times 2014 When the United States discussed imposing sanctions on the Russians in connection with the annexation of Crimea.

But the Panama Papers leaked big data showed a different picture two years later. Roldugin can be linked to five secretive companies in tax havens, all of which in turn have links to Russia’s Rossiya Bank, a bank known as “Putin’s Wallet”.

The bank was established in connection with the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s with money from the Soviet Communist Party and with the help of Vladimir Putin who then worked in St. Petersburg.

according to The documents in the leak Roldugin was a billionaire through shares in the Bank of Russia. In addition, he earned almost 100 million Swedish kronor per year.

Yuri Kovalchuk, banker

The last owner of the Bank of Russia was at the last known moment of Vladimir Putin’s friend: Yuri Kovalchuk. He has a representative from the White House described as “Personal bankers of many high-ranking Russian officials, including Putin”.

Kovalzhuk owns a ski resort and hosted the wedding of Putin and Kirill Shamalov’s daughter in 2013.

Kirill Shamalov, former brother-in-law

The third person is Kirill Shamalov – who was previously married to Putin’s youngest daughter. His father, Nikolai Shamalov, has known Putin for a long time and the families were on vacation together.

Kirill made a fortune from shares in the petrochemical company Sibur and became the youngest Russian dollar billionaire at the age of 34.

Nikolai Shamalov’s father has worked for Putin in various positions since Saint Petersburg and his company has also built the so-called Putin Palace in the Black Sea.