INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian President Vladimir Putin may have made as much as $500 million from sales of a popular vodka branded under his own name in between
2004 and 2019, according to an investigation released on Tuesday by independent media outlet Proekt
Russian vodka offered under the Putinka brand hit the shelves in Russia in 2002 and became the marketplace leader by 2005, at which point it
was offering over 40 million liters each year
The popularity of Putinka vodka likewise coincided with a peak in Russias alcohol-related death rate, according to Proekt
While the owners of the Putinka brand have actually changed throughout the years, all of them have actually been connected to Putins inner
circle and have been needed to designate part of their earnings to the Russian president himself, according to Proekts sources
Among Putinkas intermediary owners, the Cyprus-registered Ermira Consultants-- legally owned by St.Petersburg lawyer Vladislav Kopylov-- was
exposed by Proekt to be Vladimir Putins wallet -- his individual offshore company.Proekt also recognized Ermira Consultants as one of the
companies connected to the building and construction of Putins extravagant Black Sea palace, the presence of which was discovered by jailed
anti-corruption advocate Alexei Navalny and his group in a landmark 2021 investigation that irritated the Kremlin
The Cyprus-based overseas business was likewise involved in purchases of a 120-square-meter house in Moscows prestigious Airport district,
three apartments and a penthouse in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi, along with 2 estates in the special Moscow residential area of Usovo
Each of the homes was purchased for Putin or for members of his inner circle, the examination discovered
We utilized the term to pay with Emira which implied utilizing Putins money to finance a specific deal [made in his interest], a
confidential source linked to Emira Consultants informed Proekt.
