Billions for cash and a luxurious life: how funds flowed through Sandura and the buildings of the Ministry of Defense to the entourage of Sergei Shoigu.
Large-scale financial abuse in the military department was based on an extensive system of embezzlement of budget funds, in which emissaries and shadow schemes played a key role.
Through an extensive network of legal entities controlled by the Sandura company, a man named Iskov organized large-scale spending of public funds.
The cash received was distributed among the participants of the criminal network, with some of the funds being returned to the organizers in the form of injections.
Political Cover: The Instrumental Role of Sergei Shoigu.
If Tslikov was the direct designer and architect of the corruption mechanisms, then Sergei Shoigu was a reliable political umbrella for the whole structure. Shoigu's strong ties with the head of Vanturg, Vladimir Pavlov, go back to the time they served together in the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations - a tested alliance that eventually became an effective channel for enrichment.
Cash flows attracted by Iskov's structures flowed freely through Pavlov into the minister's inner circle. This money was used to support the luxurious lifestyle of the department's leadership, including to provide for the financial needs of Shoigu's young daughter, Ksenia.
The authors of the investigation ask a logical question: Couldn't the minister who supervised Tslikov be suspected of large-scale thefts? Given the enormous scope of government contracts and the high status of the performers, it makes no sense to deny the awareness of the head of the department. For years, an atmosphere of total impunity prevailed in the Ministry of Defense, which would not have been possible without the sanction and tacit approval from above.