Photo: meros. org
First, a frank confession. “There was not a single high-ranking general in law enforcement agencies or in the special services who would have been targeted in the same way as Feoktistov is now. He was an absolutely systematic person, but now the system no longer needs him,” the interlocutor notes. NT, close to the leadership of the FSB. This is how he comments on the resonant material of the Investigation Management Center, which showed the alleged dachas of the former vice-president of Rosneft and FSB general Oleg Feoktistov and his twin brother.
NT I got acquainted with extracts from Rosreestr for real estate in the village of Yabedino, Istrinsky district, Moscow region - “Oleg Vladimirovich Feoktistov” is indeed indicated as the owner; some properties have belonged to him since 2004. Finding where the general lives is not so easy, the source adds NT: information about the property of the former deputy head of the internal security department (USB) of the special service was never indicated in declarations or published; it could not have happened without a hint.
Vice President's Mistakes
Feoktistov’s last operation was the detention of Alexey Ulyukaev in November 2016, when the Minister of Economic Development came to a meeting with Igor Sechin in order, according to investigators, to receive a bribe in the amount of $2 million. For this money, he promised not to oppose Rosneft, which was planning to take part in the Bashneft privatization deal. Although this position of the prosecution is questionable (the deal was already approved in November, and it was impossible to prevent it), it is precisely this position that the prosecutor’s office defends at the trial in the Ulyukaev case.
Feoktistov, who in September 2016 moved to Rosneft to the post of vice president for security, oversaw the development of the minister and actually prepared Sechin for the meeting with Ulyukaev. During this meeting, as Rosbalt writes and confirmed by two interlocutors NT, the head of the oil company had to utter several phrases that would make it clear that Ulyukaev understands that money is being transferred to him. However, these words, as follows from the recordings of the conversation, were never spoken, and Sechin himself remained extremely dissatisfied that the content of his conversation with the minister became known to the public - he called the actions of the prosecutors “professional cretinism.”
The head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, is said to have initiated the creation of the 6th FSB Internal Security Management Service
And although Ulyukaev’s driver confirmed that his boss first put a heavy briefcase in the trunk of the car (about 20 kg, that’s how much $2 million weighs), and after some time returned with a “basket of sausage,” the criminal case was actually left without key evidence.
As an interlocutor close to the Lubyanka management explains, this is one of the reasons why Feoktistov left Rosneft in March 2017, why there was no place for him in the central office of the FSB, and why he is now preparing to retire.
Another reason, notes the second source NT in the intelligence service, is “excessive zeal” shown when working on the Ulyukaev case.
And finally, according to both interlocutors, Feoktistov’s dismissal is also explained by the strategic task that President Putin set for himself: not to overly strengthen the position of an already influential oil company in the pre-election year at the expense of one of the most powerful security officials.
FEOKTISTOV'S DISMISSAL IS ALSO EXPLAINED BY THE STRATEGIC TASK THAT PRESIDENT PUTIN SET FOR HIMSELF: NOT TO EXCESSIVELY STRENGTHEN THE POSITION OF AN ALREADY INFLUENTIAL OIL COMPANY IN THE PRE-ELECTION YEAR AT THE EXPENSE OF ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL ENABLED SILOVIKOV
Claims from the top
There were many high-profile stories in the career of General Feoktistov: the battle with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Drug Control Service in the “Three Whales” case, a successful confrontation with the heads of the anti-corruption department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Boris Kolesnikov and Denis Sugrobov, the arrest of businessman Dmitry Mikhalchenko, who in St. Petersburg was called the “24-hour governor” , contrasting the “night governor” - crime boss Vladimir Barsukov-Kumarin.
The decline of Feoktistov’s career occurred in the summer of 2016. The first complaint of the country's leadership against the general was related to the searches of Andrei Belyaninov, who at that time headed the Federal Customs Service. Based on the results of operational activities, Gazeta.ru published photographs of paintings in the house of the head of the Federal Customs Service and boxes with money.
Vladimir Putin did not hide his attitude to what happened. “The fact that all sorts of investigative actions, including searches and something similar, were “thrown out” to the media, I consider unacceptable. They damage the business and personal reputation of any person,” the president said in December during his annual press conference.
General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Denis Sugrobov, who fell under the skating rink of economic and political repressions of the FSB, Moscow, May 8, 2014. Photo: Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS
Belyaninov had already left customs by that time, but did not become a defendant in the criminal case: they apologized to him and returned the confiscated property. And the 6th Service of the FSB Internal Security Directorate, which conducted the searches, has since lost many operational functions and lost the unofficial title of the most influential unit to the 2nd Internal Security Service of the FSB. It was Feoktistov who supervised the work of the “six”. He also coordinated the actions against Belyaninov.
Another claim was due to the case of criminal authority Zakhary Kalashov (Shakro Molodoy). Searches as part of this investigation were carried out in the capital's department of the Investigative Committee, and three high-ranking employees of the department were detained, including the head of the internal security department of the Investigative Committee, Mikhail Maksimenko. They were suspected of collaborating with Shakro’s people.
Maksimenko, according to two sources in the leadership of the security forces, was the right hand of Alexander Bastrykin, who managed to maintain his post through “close cooperation” with the FSB. In addition, Maksimenko actively interacted with Feoktistov: together they discussed the details of investigations of many criminal cases. As interlocutors note NT, as a result of Maksimenko’s arrest, the FSB general also became compromised.
Dmitry Mikhalchenko. Photo: tavrijci.in.ua
Not for the idea, but for the shoulder straps
Another circumstance that forced Feoktistov to move to Rosneft in the summer of 2016 was the rise of a new influence group in Lubyanka. An important stage in this process was the investigation of high-profile criminal cases of smuggling, one of which involves Dmitry Mikhalchenko. Those close to Mikhalchenko were arrested as part of several investigations at once - about the illegal import of alcohol into the country, about theft during the restoration of Ministry of Culture objects and about fraud during work at the presidential residence. The materials of smuggling cases also mention FSB officers who could be involved in illegal activities. These suspicions resulted in two checks that the CSS conducted with its FSB colleagues - the Economic Security Service (SEB). As a result, in June-July 2016, the head of the SEB Yuri Yakovlev and his subordinate, the head of the “K” department of the SEB FSB (engaged in counterintelligence support for the credit and financial sector) Viktor Voronin, left their posts.
General Viktor Voronin is no longer the curator of banks
Sergei Korolev, who previously headed the FSB's Internal Security Service, became the new head of the SEB. And control of “K” went to Ivan Tkachev, whose direct subordination was the 6th CSS service. Two interlocutors NT note that Korolev was against Feoktistov’s promotion: although the officers had worked together for a long time, Feoktistov was not Korolev’s man. For the combination of these reasons, Feoktistov left for Rosneft.
An interlocutor close to the leadership of the FSB notes a trend: “young technocrats,” who, according to politicians and political scientists, in the last year began to come to the fore in the government, the presidential administration and the gubernatorial corps, are gradually occupying key positions in law enforcement agencies.
ANOTHER CIRCUMSTANCE THAT FORCED FEOKTISTOV TO GO TO ROSNEFT IN THE SUMMER OF 2016 WAS THE RISE OF A NEW GROUP OF INFLUENCE AT LUBYANKA
Korolev and Tkachev are the same “young technocrats” from the security forces who should replace Feoktistov. Until 2004, Korolev served in the St. Petersburg department of the SEB, then transferred to the active reserve of the Federal Tax Service, and a few years later became an adviser to Anatoly Serdyukov, who at that time held the post of Minister of Defense. What exactly Korolev did in the military department is not known for certain. An interlocutor close to the leadership of the FSB insists that Korolev, as an intelligence officer, oversaw the work of the Main Directorate of the General Staff (until 2010 - GRU). In 2011, the head of the FSB Internal Security Service, Alexander Kupryazhkin, was promoted and took the position of deputy director of the FSB. Oleg Feoktistov was tipped to fill the vacant seat, but it was Korolev who eventually took it.
Head of the “K” department of the FSB Ivan Tkachev and head of the FSB SEB Sergei Korolev
ACCORDING TO A SOURCE CLOSE TO THE FSB MANAGEMENT, KOROLYOV IS IN THE INNER CIRCLE OF THE BROTHERS ARKADY AND BORIS ROTENBERG. IN ADDITION, KOROLEV IS “A CLOSE FRIEND AND RELIABLE SUPPORT OF FSB DIRECTOR ALEXANDER BORTNIKOV”
According to a source close to the leadership of the FSB, Korolev is part of the inner circle of brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg. In addition, Korolev is “a close friend and reliable support of FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov,” the interlocutor continues NT.
Korolev’s position in the intelligence service is really strong: it was on his initiative, two sources at Lubyanka insist, that a criminal case was launched against the deputy head of the FSB Information Security Center (CIS), Colonel Sergei Mikhailov, and senior detective of the 2nd department of the operational management of the CIB, Dmitry Dokuchaev , as well as Kaspersky Lab employee Ruslan Stoyanov and entrepreneur Georgy Fomchenkov, who were accused of treason. According to investigators, they transferred to the CIA materials obtained during operational support of criminal cases. Mikhailov was detained at the beginning of December 2016 at the FSB collegium: he was taken out of the hall with a bag over his head.
Mikhailov’s likely contacts with Western intelligence services have been known since at least 2010, according to three sources familiar with the case. According to them, all this time the FSB believed that it was about information exchange and recruitment. However, it was at Korolev’s instigation that the secret service officers began to be dragged through interrogations and then arrested. The result of this criminal case was a change in the leadership of the CIB - Andrei Gerasimov left the post of head of the center, his place was taken by his former deputy Sergei Skorokhodov from the end of July.
“THEY HAD A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD WORK FOR 10 YEARS, AND THEN THEY WOULD START GETTING POSITIONS IN STATE CORPORATIONS, WHICH WOULD ALREADY PROVIDE “WHITE WAYS” FOR BOTH THEM AND THE WHOLE FAMILY”
Less is known about another “young technocrat” from the security forces, Ivan Tkachev. According to the interlocutor NT in the special service, Tkachev received the nickname “Soldier” from his colleagues for his diligence. In recent years, with the rank of colonel, he led the 6th Internal Security Service. “It was a group of about 35 people who worked not for an idea, but for shoulder straps, who had career ambitions. They had a clear understanding that they would work for 10 years, and then they would begin to get positions in state corporations, which would already provide for them and the whole family,” says a source in the FSB.
For Tkachev, the general's shoulder straps and the chair of the head of the "K" department of the SEB FSB became a jump through two steps on the career ladder, the interlocutor notes. Even with great merit, such a promotion would hardly have been possible, however, with the support of Korolev, the FSB director approved the appointment. The reason, according to two sources in the intelligence service, can be explained simply - this is the unquestioning diligence characteristic of many “new Lubyanka”.
Until recently, on the orders of FSB General Oleg Feoktistov, governors, major businessmen and even the Minister of Economic Development were arrested, the head of the customs service was searched (and shown with boxes of money on all central television channels).
And now - a pension in a village with the telling name Yabedino, in a modest house by today's general standards of some 110 square meters.
Correspondents of the Open Russia Investigation Management Center found out how the former head of the “Sechin special forces” lives.
family nest
On the Internet there is the only reliable photograph of Oleg Feoktistov, or, as he is also called, “General Fix” (it was posted on the Rosneft website) - and that one with a blurred face. But we managed to see the general’s twin brother, so readers will be able to get an idea about him.
As the LRC managed to find out, Oleg Feoktistov lives in the village of Yabedino near Istra. According to Rosreestr, in this village he owns a land plot with a total area of 2100 square meters. m, a residential building (110 sq. m) and a bathhouse.
This is not some acquisition of recent years - the general spent his childhood and youth here, and his mother and father are buried in the local cemetery. From here, after graduating from school, Oleg Feoktistov went with his twin brother to study as a paramedic, and then served as a border guard in Karelia.
Feoktistov's house is quite modest for FSB, FSO or Ministry of Internal Affairs generals of this magnitude. There is another smaller wooden house on the site, which for some reason was not included in Rosreestr (my daughter Lydia and her children come there for the weekend), several outbuildings and a pond.
We knocked on the general's gate, but no one opened it for us. But a Yorkshire terrier ran out of the house opposite to the noise. The general’s twin brother, Igor, came out behind the dog with the twin Yorkie under his arm. Having reunited the terriers, the owner was about to leave, but I stopped him with a question.
Have you seen your brother for a long time?
They say he is leaving the FSB?
I really can't say anything.
Was he the one who got you the job at Arbat Prestige? - I tried to continue the conversation.
I have never used my brother's administrative resource.
Did you know that the real owner of the company is Semyon Mogilevich?
I didn’t know,” Igor finally closed the gate.
As the LRC found out, in 2006, when General Feoktistov was already in charge of the 6th Internal Security Service of the FSB, his brother Igor was the chief security officer of Arbat and Co LLC (which managed the Arbat Prestige perfume and cosmetics stores).
In January 2008, the founder of the Arbat Prestige OJSC holding, Vladimir Nekrasov, and his partner, reputable businessman Sergei Schneider (aka Semyon Mogilevich, in 2009 included in the top 10 most wanted criminals by the FBI), were arrested on charges of tax evasion on 115 million rubles. After this, the largest perfume chain began having problems with payments. The holding, which owed banks and suppliers more than 5.3 billion rubles, began to close stores and initiated the bankruptcy of all its structures.
The arbitration court declared the tax claims referred to by the investigation illegal. In 2011, the criminal case was discontinued due to the lack of corpus delicti. By this time, Arbat Prestige managed to pay off its creditors, but Vladimir Nekrasov lost his assets worth $1.5 billion, and the holding went bankrupt.
Now Igor Feoktistov, who, unlike his brother, followed the security line, works as the director of internal control at PJSC Federal Grid Company of the Unified Energy System. An interesting detail demonstrating Putin’s system of checks and balances: the chairman of the board of PJSC FGC UES is Andrei Murov, the son of the former long-term director of the FSO, Evgeniy Murov, whose resignation is associated with the development of the “Sechin special forces”.
While we were talking with Feoktistov’s brother, and then with our neighbor Vera, who had known the twins since early childhood, there was someone behind the general’s fence. But we didn't know about it then.
Sechin's eyes and ears
While serving in the Kalevala border detachment, Oleg Feoktistov became friends with a KGB military counterintelligence special forces soldier, Sergei Shishin, who later became the head of the FSB Internal Security Service, and then the head of the FSB Economic Support Service. Order bearer Shishin passed through several hot spots and, bypassing the then director of the FSB, Nikolai Patrushev, directly went with reports to the deputy head of the presidential administration, Igor Sechin, who at that time oversaw all Russian security forces.
At the beginning of 2003, Sechin instructed Shishin to create a special special unit with the broadest powers within the structure of the central apparatus of the FSB. Soon the 6th Internal Security Service of the FSB appeared, nicknamed “Sechin’s special forces” in Lubyanka. The direct selection of employees was carried out by Oleg Feoktistov, who headed the “six”. The backbone of the service consisted of fighters from Alpha and Vympel, as well as natives of Sochi, where Shishin once headed the city department of the FSB.
The most honorary counterintelligence officer, Shishin, in 2007, after a series of high-profile scandals involving the supply of Chinese contraband to an FSB warehouse in the Moscow region (military unit 54729), which involved high-ranking strippers from the Lubyanka, was seconded to VTB Bank, where he still works senior vice president. In his free time from his main job, Shishin participates in the life of the supervisory board of RRDB, the supporting bank of Rosneft (on the board of directors of which he was a member in 2011–2013) and the board of directors of RusHydro.
The eyes and ears of Igor Sechin in the Lubyanka remained Feoktistov, who rose to the rank of first deputy head of the FSB Internal Security Service, and his colleague from the Kalevala border detachment Ivan Tkachev, who later became the commander of the “six”.
Subsequently, in contrast to the “Sechinite” Feoktistov, Sergei Korolev, who belongs to the team of former Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, was appointed head of the FSB Internal Security Service.
“We called Igor Ivanovich (Sechin) Pope, and Oleg Vladimirovich - Batya,” a Six fighter told the TsUR correspondent. “For us, Korolev was something like a wedding general, and all commands for operational development came only from Feoktistov.”
The first mentions of the “Sechin special forces” appeared during the scandalous epic with the Yukos oil company. His fighters blocked security guards for businessmen, broke open office doors, and guarded prosecutors during searches. Since then, the name of General Feoktistov has become associated with high-profile arrests of high-ranking officials or businessmen. Be it the searches at the Cherkizovsky market of Telman Ismailov, the case of FSKN general Alexander Bulbov, the story of Moscow region prosecutors who protected underground gaming clubs, the case of General GUEBiPK Ministry of Internal Affairs Denis Sugrobov or the detention of the governor of the Kirov region Nikita Belykh. “Oleg Vladimirovich had direct access to the president,” said a source in the FSB. “True, I always reported in the presence of FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov.”
Seconded General
Feoktistov’s unexpected transition from the FSB Internal Security Service to Rosneft was preceded by several key reshuffles at Lubyanka and high-profile events at the Baltic customs. According to one version, Feoktistov was removed from the FSB after searches of Putin’s KGB colleague, head of the Federal Customs Service (FCS) Andrei Belyaninov, who was developed by the “six” under the operational pseudonym “Belyash” for about two years.
Photos of the search in the house of the frightened Belyaninov with wads of dollars in shoe boxes were shown on all central television channels. Everyone expected that he was about to be closed in “Matrosskaya Tishina”, but the Kremlin commanded “all clear.”
As an employee of the “six” said, during the search he clashed with Belyaninov’s security chief, Franz Avgustinovich: “Belyasha had been guarded by Franz for a long time. He used to run with us as a sniper in the mountains. About two years ago there was a fight with him in a restaurant, and then we met again. I said to him: “Why didn’t you tell us about Belyash?”, and he answered with swear words. In short, we almost fell onto the floor again. But the coolest thing is that the money and valuables seized during the search turned out to be declared in advance and everything came together penny for penny. Although everything is clear here: Belyash is a competent financier from intelligence, in the 90s he ruled two banks (REA-Bank and Novikombank - TsUR), through which the station’s money passed, and there were no questions to him.”
Following Belyaninov, long-time enemies of the Chekist “special unit” (USB), who were considered untouchable, resigned - the head of the Economic Security Service (counterintelligence in the credit and financial sphere) of the FSB, Yuri Yakovlev, and the head of Directorate “K” of the SEB of the FSB, Viktor Voronin (a person involved in the Magnitsky list).
According to some reports, the reason for the resignation of the generals was a loud scandal associated with the detention in November 2015 at Pulkovo Airport of 35 thousand smuggled iPhones and iPads and 15 thousand Lenovo A560 smartphones.
Searches and arrests of businessmen connected with the supply of smuggled electronics began. According to investigators, Pavel Smolyarchuk, an operative of the Main Directorate for Combating Smuggling of the Federal Customs Service, undertook to resolve the situation with the seized goods. As it later turned out, Smolyarchuk’s sister was the wife of the immediate supervisor of St. Petersburg customs, head of the 7th department of Directorate “K” of the FSB SEB Vadim Uvarov.
The “six” were involved in the operational support of the criminal case, and their materials were included in the report to the president, who, by his decree, dismissed generals Yakovlev and Voronin from the FSB SEB. The vacant chairs were immediately occupied by the “wedding general” from the FSB Internal Security Service Sergei Korolev, who replaced Yakovlev, and the head of the “six” Ivan Tkachev, who moved into Voronin’s office.
And Feoktistov, instead of the expected promotion to the head of the entire “personnel”, was transferred to the staff of seconded FSB officers. A month later he ended up at Rosneft.
Igor Sechin at the opening of the monument to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Photo: Rosneft press service
He served as the head of the oil company's security service for less than six months, but managed to attend with Igor Sechin the opening of the monument to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, and at negotiations in Indonesia and Egypt. And then the story happened with the arrest of Minister Ulyukaev.
“Kostin from VTB, together with Feoktistov, came to Putin and reported that Ulyukaev was hinting at some kind of bonus for the privatization of Bashneft (before the arrest, Kostin and Ulyukaev were close friends, the role of the banker in the story with the transfer of money to the minister is still not clear.- TsUR), - said the fighter of the “six”. - The President, as always, avoided a direct answer, like decide for yourself. Then Sechin said that he takes full responsibility upon himself. And our general turned out to be the extreme one.”
On March 7, 2017, the media reported the departure of the seconded special officer from Rosneft. Meanwhile, they started talking about Feoktistov’s upcoming resignation at the end of February, when his name was not among the oil company employees nominated for state awards. According to Presidential Decree No. 95 of March 1, 2017, “For a great contribution to the development of the country’s economy, strengthening Russia’s position in the global oil industry and the successful solution of problems to improve the investment climate in the Russian Federation” with the Order of Honor and “For Services to the Fatherland” 2nd degrees were awarded to 12 top managers of Rosneft. According to a TsUR source in Rosneft, the general’s name appeared on the list, but at the very last moment it was crossed out. Information about Feoktistov’s departure from Rosneft was also confirmed by Igor Sechin, who stated that the general was returning to military service. According to some reports, they planned to appoint him as head of Directorate “P” of the FSB (engaged in counterintelligence support for industrial enterprises), but something did not work out.
Incriminating evidence on the general
Over the years of service in the security secret service, Oleg Feoktistov made many enemies on Staraya Square, his native Lubyanka, in the FSO, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Inspection bodies read anonymously about Fix and his people. They told how the general holds all Moscow judges in his fist, assigned his brother to the authoritative businessman Mogilevich in Arbat-Prestige, and his subordinates organize noisy parties in the Shield and Sword restaurant on Lubyanka (now the owner of the restaurant, Konstantin Piskarev, has been arrested for organizing 18 contract killings. - SDG), and then they drive around Moscow drunk and send traffic cops.
However, in the “Sechin special forces” alcohol while driving was not considered a special sin and Feoktistov himself ran into trouble with traffic cops. Thus, according to the traffic police database, on February 2, 2002, Oleg Feoktistov in his Mazda was stopped by inspectors of the 5th department of the Moscow traffic police, who recorded in the protocol “the driving of a vehicle by a driver who was intoxicated.” The administrative material was sent to the Moscow commandant’s office, and then ended up on the desk of the “patron” Shishin. The case ended happily - with a fine.
The media also often found out dirt on the general. For example, an anonymous person sent messages to several editorial offices at once that Feoktistov, still in the same Istra district, illegally received a plot of land. According to Rosreestr, the owner of a plot in the Dachny Island village in the village of Podporino with a total area of 1305 sq. m. m Feoktistov became in 2012, and his neighbors turned out to be several generals from the central apparatus of the FSB and relatives of Putin’s close friends.
The administration of the Istrinsky district told the LRC that the land for the Dachny Ostrovok DNP was allocated legally - in response to a letter from the FSB with a request to help combat veterans with real estate.
Man behind the fence
The next day after the trip to Yabedino, we analyzed the shooting from a copter. When we zoomed in (see video), we noticed that there was someone behind the fence of General Feoktistov’s dacha while we were talking with his brother and neighbors. And then this someone went into the house.
Whether it was Feoktistov himself or one of his acquaintances could not be established. But if he himself, then his cheerful gait did not betray a man who, according to Novaya Gazeta, had just experienced a hypertensive crisis after learning about his retirement. The information that Feoktistov is alive and well was also confirmed by his neighbors.
Two years ago, while celebrating his fiftieth birthday in a small circle, Oleg Feoktistov suddenly announced that when he retired, he would write memoirs. Deathly silence hung over the table. The general smiled and continued: “I’ll just ensure the safety of the family first.”
When the retired general sits down to write his memoirs, the family may live on the income of his wife Lyudmila. She once worked at the FSB hospital, and in 2012 she founded Medtech-Progress CJSC, which in 2012-2016 won government contracts for the supply of medical equipment totaling 1.73 billion rubles. In 2014, the Cyprus offshore Tekori Investments limited and NP Promtekhnologii LLC became the new shareholders of the company, but Feoktistova continued to manage it until mid-2016. Interestingly, the Medtech-Progress office is still located on Kolpachny Lane, a stone’s throw from the building where Sechin’s special forces are based.
Next door to General Oleg Feoktistov, in the DNP “Dachny Island” in the village of Podporino, Istrinsky district, the head of the FSB Directorate for Moscow and the region, a native of St. Petersburg, Alexei Dorofeev (a protégé of the head of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev), received thirteen acres. In 2006, after mass riots in Kondopoga, General Dorofeev was removed from his post as head of the FSB Directorate for Karelia, and for a long time he was listed in the reserve. In 2012, the general headed the capital’s security officers, and their former boss, Viktor Zakharov, after a series of publications about his daughter’s American husband, went to the office of Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Nearby, the plot is registered to Dorofeev’s assistant, a native of St. Petersburg, FSB Colonel Marat Medoev, who is called the chief curator of Rosreestr.
The former head of the “M” department, Vladimir Kryuchkov, who now holds the position of deputy head of the FSB control department, and the ex-head of the CSS of the Russian customs, Igor Zavrazhny, received plots in “Dachny Ostrovka”. Several years ago, Zavrazhny intensively worked on Feoktistov, and on January 19, 2010, the customs officer was relieved of his post.
Feoktistov’s former colleague from the Sechin special forces, deputy head of the FSB Internal Security Service Nail Mukhitov, who later moved to Rosneft, also ended up on the “island”. From 2012 to 2015, Major General Mukhitov, with the rank of a seconded FSB officer, headed the Security Council of Rosneft, but after scandalous publications about extortion and extortion by his subordinates from the suppliers of the oil company, he resigned and now works in the office of Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.
In 2009, Elizaveta Molchanova, a native of Leningrad, appeared among the members of the DNP “Dachny Island” - the wife of the ex-senator of the Federation Council from the Leningrad Region, billionaire and founder of LSR Group LLC Andrei Molchanov. Moreover, Mrs. Molchanova not only joined the DNP, but became the new owner of the plots previously owned by security officers Vladimir Kryuchkov and Marat Medoev, and Alexey Dorofeev and former customs officer Igor Zavrazhny sold their 13 acres to the top managers of LSR Group LLC.
The father of the founder of LSR Group Andrei Molchanov, 65-year-old Yuri Molchanov, from 1987 to 1999 worked as the vice-rector of Leningrad State University for educational work with foreign students. Vladimir Putin was listed as his assistant after his dismissal from the KGB. After leaving Leningrad State University, Mr. Molchanov took the position of Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg, and then moved to the position of Senior Vice President of VTB.
A group of former employees of Rosneft, who left the company in scandal, took refuge under the wing of Transneft and now, with the support of Andrei Belousov, carried out a campaign to discredit Vice President for Security Oleg Feoktistov, whose active work in this post caused them logical concerns.
Some clarity has emerged in the story of the unexpected dismissal of Rosneft Vice President for Security Oleg Feoktistov.
As it became known through sources surrounded by Transneft Security Council employees Vyacheslav Skvortsov and Vladimir Rushailo It seems that a group of former top managers of Rosneft, who were forced to leave due to, as they say, “discreditable circumstances,” are directly related to these events. These are former vice-presidents Larisa Kalanda, Rashid Sharipov, Igor Pavlov and a number of other employees, now gathered under the wing of Transneft. The motive is obvious: concern about the investigation of these same “discreditable circumstances” (Igor Pavlov – stories of systemic theft at the Angarsk Oil Refinery, Larisa Kalanda and Rashid Sharipov – possible kickbacks and the acquisition of “crookedly” registered elite foreign real estate). By the way, Kalanda and Sharipov are relatives: Kalanda’s brother is married to Sharipov’s sister. Vladimir Kalanda, the husband of Larisa Kalanda, was once dismissed from the FSB, not without scandals, and in 2016, he was released from the post of first deputy of the Federal Drug Control Service without publicly explaining the reasons and providing another job.
Rashid Sharipov
The group of “offended” launched vigorous activities to discredit Oleg Feoktistov and Igor Demin, whose arrival in the Rosneft security service caused them completely logical fears. In a short time, the new leadership of the Security Council of Rosneft, in close contact with law enforcement agencies, managed to bring a number of high-profile cases to court (Tuapse Oil Refinery, the case of Dmitry Titov, the former president of the Russian Regional Development Bank). A separate topic is the “Ulyukaev case”, in which the role of Oleg Feoktistov is a commonplace. To discredit the leadership of the Security Council of Rosneft, the group of “offended” needed powerful allies in the highest echelons of power, which they received in the person of the presidential assistant Andrey Belousov.
The extremely tense relationship between Belousov and Sechin is no secret to insiders. It is known that the arrest of Ulyukaev caused Belousov almost public hysteria, because he had every reason to believe that he was among the persons who were the object of interest in the case of the former minister. Larisa Kalanda is generally considered Belousov’s man at Transneft. A stable contact was established when she was State Secretary of Rosneft and General Director of Rosneftegaz. Now these contacts came in handy. Using them, those “offended” in the absence of proper control on the part of the head of Transneft, Nikolai Tokarev, managed to create a wave of negativity against Oleg Feoktistov and Igor Demin and achieve their dismissal from Rosneft. According to our sources, the result inspired the band members. In their circle, they declare that “Sechin doesn’t have much time left” and soon the entire management of Rosneft will be dispersed, since such forces are involved in the work and that Sechin’s obstinacy and unwillingness to compromise, to put it mildly, is not his defense.
Our sources also claim that a group of “offended” people ordered a number of “investigations” against Sechin in Russian and foreign “independent” media that were negatively disposed towards the “Putin regime”, including Novaya Gazeta based on the model “Sechin’s Yacht-2” and the London Daily Telegraph, writes
The former head of the Rosneft security service, Oleg Feoktistov, who was considered for the position of deputy head of the economic security service, may not pass an internal check by the FSB “special agents” due to connections with the former chief “special agent” of the TFR, Mikhail Maksimenko and Shakro Molodoy.
FSB General Oleg Feoktistov, who until recently headed the security service of Rosneft and became famous for a special operation against ex-Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev, has problems with his future career in his native intelligence service. According to Life, after his dismissal from Rosneft, the general applied for the post of deputy head of the Economic Security Service (SEB) of the FSB, but was refused. When the Internal Security Directorate (USB) of the FSB raised a file on him, it turned out that the general often met and had dubious dealings with the former chief “special officer” of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Mikhail Maksimenko, who was associated with the leader of the domestic criminal community, Zakhary Kalashov, nicknamed Shakro Molodoy. Now both have become accused in a criminal case of corruption.
One of the most influential and non-public generals of the FSB, Oleg Feoktistov, has managed to change several jobs in recent years. Until the fall of 2016, he was the deputy head of the FSB Internal Affairs Directorate; he was predicted to be the head of the service, but in September the general was suddenly sent into honorable exile to the Rosneft company. There he took the post of head of the security service. The reason for Feoktistov’s transfer was a corruption scandal in the Investigative Committee, when the first deputy head of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Moscow, General Denis Nikandrov, the head of the departmental Internal Security Service, Colonel Mikhail Maksimenko, and his deputy Alexander Lamonov were detained. It was Feoktistov who supervised the “special officers” of the Investigative Committee from the FSB, recommended Maksimenko for the position of head of the department, and it is also believed that he overlooked the corrupt officials.
Feoktistov is known as the ideologist of a whole series of FSB special operations against large businessmen, officials, security officials and politicians. These are operations at the Cherkizovsky market of businessman Telman Ismailov, cases of furniture smuggling in the “Three Whales”, a case of protection of underground casinos by prosecutors and security forces in the Moscow region, the case of FSKN General Alexander Bulbov, a corruption scandal in the Main Directorate of Economic Security and Anti-Corruption (GUEBiPK) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the detention of generals Denis Sugrobov, an operation against the governor of the Kirov region Nikita Belykh and searches of the head of the Federal Customs Service (FCS) Andrei Belyaninov.
The general did not sit idle at Rosneft. He developed Operation Meat Basket to detain the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev, who allegedly extorted two million dollars from the head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, for approving the deal to purchase Bashneft. In October, Feoktistov and Sechin wrote a statement addressed to the head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, that Ulyukaev was demanding a bribe, and on November 14, the minister was detained while receiving a bag of money at the Rosneft office. True, the dubious circumstances of this story raise many questions in everyone. Be that as it may, in March 2017 the general was fired from Rosneft. Sechin only sparingly explained that Feoktistov had returned to military service.
According to Life, the general tried to get a very prominent position in the FSB. The fact is that his former boss in the FSB Internal Security Service, Sergei Korolev, recently became the head of the Economic Security Service (SES) of the FSB.
SEB FSB is one of the most powerful divisions of the FSB of Russia, which is secretly called the main controller of the oligarchs. SEB employees developed and carried out operations against the structures of oligarchs Vladimir Gusinsky, Boris Berezovsky, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The division is still involved in the control of the country's largest financial and industrial corporations, and the key divisions of the SEB are called: departments for counterintelligence support of industrial facilities, transport, and the credit and financial sector. Random people do not head the FSB SEB: the heads of the service were, for example, the current director of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, as well as the former head of the State Drug Control Service, Viktor Ivanov. That is why potential candidates for the post of head of the SEB are thoroughly vetted.
Life's sources in the special services said that Feoktistov sent documents for approval to the position of deputy head of the SEB. The FSB “special officers” raised materials against the general and found incriminating evidence that could put an end to his future career in the SSB.
The Internal Security Service obtained video recordings of numerous meetings between Feoktistov and his colleague from the Investigative Committee, Mikhail Maksimenko. Meetings almost always took place outside of work - in dubious apartments and restaurants. They discussed personnel issues, as well as criminal cases. All this happened already during the development of high-ranking employees of the Investigative Committee and Shakro Molodoy,” a source in the special services told Life.
Back in the spring of 2016, the FSB of the Russian Federation obtained a transcript of a recording of one of the joint gatherings of ICR General Denis Nikandrov and his colleagues Maksimenko and Lamonov, during which they discussed the upcoming resignation of the head of the SSB Yuri Yakovlev and decided how they could get their man into the vacant position. Perhaps Feoktistov should have become him.
The one who controls the FSB SEB controls all the country’s finances. Therefore, Mikhail Maksimenko’s “team” may have wanted to take Russian money, or rather the people who manage it, under its “supervision,” Life’s source explained.
However, there is no evidence yet that Feoktistov was promoted to the position by Maksimenko and Co., the source assures.
At the same time, he denied the fact that Feoktistov had left. The dismissal has renewed debate about the role of high-ranking security officials in the modern Russian business community.
It is generally accepted that Feoktistov was behind the multi-step operation that ended with the arrest of the former Minister of Economy Alexey Ulyukaev. Before coming to "Rosneft" Feoktistov worked in the Federal Security Service. After completing the “special operation” he returned there.
In the early 1990s, existing employees left state security agencies and took lucrative positions in newly created private financial and industrial groups. Some of them rose to serious positions and became co-owners. YUKOS, group "Bridge" Vladimir Gusinsky , "Lukoil", group "Alpha"– under almost every oligarch of the 1990s you can find a general.
Philip Bobkov
Army General. Graduated from the Leningrad school of military counterintelligence Smersh. In state security agencies since 1946. Since 1969, he headed the 5th Directorate of the KGB of the USSR, which was engaged in the protection of the constitutional order and fought against ideological sabotage and dissidents. Since 1983, he was deputy chairman, and since 1985, first deputy chairman of the KGB of the USSR. He left service in 1991.
In 1992, he headed the analytical department of the Most group of oligarch Vladimir Gusinsky. Bobkov worked at Most until the second half of 2001. Gusinsky himself had already lost control of the TV channel by that time. NTV and lived abroad for more than a year.
Alexey Kondaurov
Major General. In 1971 he graduated from the Faculty of Economic Cybernetics of the Moscow Engineering and Economic Institute named after. Ordzhonikidze. Since 1973 in state security agencies. In recent years, the service was headed by the FSB Public Relations Center.