Panic among Moscow’s Elite As Putin Moves to Seize Tycoon’s Empire

July 7, 2025 at 03:54 AM

Vladimir Putin’s government has launched an aggressive campaign to nationalize the assets of Konstantin Strukov, one of Russia’s richest men and the owner of the country’s largest gold mining company. The move marks a sharp escalation in the Kremlin’s efforts to extract wealth from within its own elite as the financial toll of the war in Ukraine deepens.

Strukov, whose fortune is estimated at over $3.5 billion, is the founder of Yuzhuralzoloto—a gold empire built over decades with strong ties to the Kremlin. But on July 5, his private jet was grounded by Russian authorities as it prepared to leave for Turkey. His passport was reportedly seized, and the aircraft barred from departing.

According to multiple Russian outlets, the Federal Security Service (FSB) was directly involved in preventing the flight, acting on a court order tied to a sweeping legal case in which prosecutors are demanding the confiscation of Strukov’s holdings. The claim? That his assets were obtained through corrupt schemes involving shell companies, family members, and insiders—a charge frequently leveled against Russia’s billionaires, but rarely enforced against those seen as loyal.

Strukov’s company has denied the incident entirely, stating that he was in Moscow on the day in question and calling the reports “disinformation.” But court documents confirm that a judge had already banned him and his family from leaving the country, and government agencies moved quickly to enforce it.

The case reflects a broader pattern emerging from inside Putin’s wartime Russia: a systematic effort to reclaim private wealth, especially from sectors like gold, oil, and defense—industries that can be redirected to support the war economy. Strukov is not accused of disloyalty. On the contrary, he has long been viewed as a Kremlin ally and served in political roles tied to the ruling party. That loyalty no longer offers protection.

Where earlier purges targeted those who spoke out against the war or fled the country, today’s seizures appear driven by something else: necessity. Sanctions have cut off foreign investment. Oil revenues are shrinking. Budget deficits are growing. Putin’s response is to tap into the fortunes of Russia’s oligarchs—those he once empowered—as a new source of funding.

This is not an isolated incident. In recent months, several high-profile business figures have been hit with sudden legal trouble, “unexpected” deaths, or state-backed asset takeovers. For years, the Putin-era social contract guaranteed immense wealth in exchange for loyalty. That arrangement is collapsing under the weight of war.

A court hearing scheduled for July 8 will determine the fate of Strukov’s empire. But the message to Russia’s business elite has already been delivered: no one is too rich, too loyal, or too connected to be safe. As the Kremlin scrambles to sustain a war it cannot afford, billionaires may find themselves transformed overnight—from oligarchs into targets.

https://kyivinsider.com/panic-among-moscows-elite-as-putin-moves-to-seize-tycoons-empire/

HUR Confirms Renewed Strategic Strikes on Russian Oil After Four-Month Hiatus

Ukraine’s military intelligence confirms a long-range drone strike on Russia’s Ilsky Oil Refinery, marking the first attack on Russian energy infrastructure in nearly four months.

Alisa Orlova, Kateryna Zakharchenko  |  July 7, 2025, 4:39 pm

Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries after a nearly four-month pause, targeting key facilities in an effort to disrupt Russia’s fuel production linked to its military campaign.

In the early hours of July 7, Ukrainian long-range drones struck the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region, Kyiv Post has learned from sources within Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR).

According to the sources, one of the refinery’s technological workshops was hit during the operation. Local Russian media and regional authorities indirectly confirmed the incident, reporting the fall of “drone debris” on refinery grounds. Emergency services were deployed to the site.

The Ilsky Oil Refinery, officially named after A. Shamar, is among the largest oil-processing facilities in southern Russia, with an annual output exceeding six million tons of fuel. It handles the intake, storage, and refining of hydrocarbons, as well as shipping products by road and rail.  .  .  .

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/55853

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Ukraine has shown unbelivable restraint here.  For four months, they have honored Russia's cease fire demands on energy infrastructure while Russia violated it on a daily basis.  I'm guessing that Zelenskiy discussed this with Trump first.

Good grief. Idaho, of all places.

Good on those boys for putting a beat down on the sicko Islamic dad.