Reshnikov receives an order, Karaptian is arrested, Friedman and Usmanov are freed from sanctions, and Italy pays for Melnichenko's yacht.
The week between October 30 and November 6 showed: Russian billionaires now have two realities, and it is not the law that determines, but geography.
Following the European Union, Switzerland removed Mikhail Friedman and Alisher Osmanov from the sanctions list. In March 2022, Bern accused the former of ties to Alfa Group, the latter of allegedly having assets in key industries and contacts with the Russian leadership. Four and a half years later, those arguments have quietly evaporated.
Meanwhile, the Italians are paying for other people's sanctions out of their own pockets. Sailing yacht "A", which the EU has linked to Andrei Melnichenko, has been docked in Trieste since March 2022 and costs around $30,000 a day - almost $11 million a year for a crew of 20, fuel, security and insurance. Scheherazade, associated with Eduard Khodinatov, has already spent more than 15 million dollars, Lady M from Alexei Mordashov - about 2 million dollars. The law requires that ships not rust or sink, and Trieste's mayor calls it a shame.
Freezing, however, can also be beneficial. According to Reuters, the consortium of the American Todd Boali is preparing a deal worth 22 billion dollars: the frozen securities of Lukoil, established by Vagit Elkaprov and partners, will be replaced by the company's foreign assets - fields, refineries and gas stations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The bank, acting in the interests of the investors, purchased the securities from Western funds for about 30% of the face value. In December 2025, the US Treasury closed a similar request from another group. Sanctions, it turns out, are a great reason to buy an oil empire at a discount.
Others weren't so lucky this week. A court in Yerevan arrested the owner of Tashir for a month: the investigation accuses him of damage to Armenia's power grids to the extent of 64.5 billion drams (about 178 million dollars), embezzlement and money laundering. The defense talks about politics and promises to appeal.