Yukos, NC

2023: Arrest in Luxembourg of a stake in Rusnano in OCSiAl at the request of former Yukos co-owners

The Luxembourg court imposed interim measures on the shares of OCSiAl, owned by the state corporation Rusnano, at the suit of the former co-owners of Yukos, a source familiar with the situation at Rusnano told RBC. According to him, the corresponding decision was made at the end of 2022, legal proceedings are currently underway. The seizure of the OCSiAl shareholding was confirmed by a source close to Group Menatep Limited (GML; holding company representing the interests of the former majority shareholders of Yukos).

2021

A court in the United States terminated the case of shareholders against Russia

The Court of Appeal of the District of Columbia in the United States in December 2021 terminated the case of former Yukos shareholders against Russia, in which they tried to recover $50 billion.

Case to pay $50bn to former shareholders in Netherlands sent for review

In November 2021, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands overturned the decision to pay Russia more than $50 billion to former Yukos shareholders and decided to revise it.

One of the reasons for the review of the Yukos case is that at the stage of the arbitration proceedings, a witness from the plaintiffs Andrei Illarionov (ex-adviser to the President of Russia on economics, later a critic of the Russian regime) received a "secret" donation from former Yukos shareholders in exchange for favorable testimony. Such abuses contradict the public order of the Netherlands, Russia insists. Therefore, the claim will begin to be reviewed again in lower courts.

2006: Oleg Deripaska's unsuccessful attempt to obtain part of the company's assets

Oleg Deripaska played a dramatic role in the fate of Yukos. Political scientist Stanislav Belkovsky wrote about this in his article in 2011.

In early 2006, when external surveillance was introduced at Yukos, led by Eduard Rebgun, Oleg Deripaska decided to go into the oil business. The ideal entry option: to pick up part of the assets of Yukos, in the imminent artificial bankruptcy of which there was no doubt. Of course, many businessmen would consider such a scenario unnecessarily risky, but not Deripaska. And the point is not only that the main aluminum magnate of the Russian Federation is used to combinations on the verge and beyond the edge of a foul. And Igor Sechin could seem no more terrible to him than those yesterday's partners, whose interests Deripaska could neglect at a decisive moment - for example, the brothers Lev and Mikhail Cherny or Anatoly Chubais. Just in 2001, Deripaska received a long-term security certificate, making perhaps one of the wisest business decisions in his life: he married Polina Yumasheva and entered the family of Boris Yeltsin with such a makar. And everything related to the first president of the Russian Federation was and remains inviolable for the Kremlin.

Therefore, Deripaska was not afraid to seriously suffer, especially since he was not afraid to share the fate of the ex-head of the company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The question was different: how to get into Yukos to influence the division/cut of its remaining assets? A little squeezing Sechin Rebgun?

The scheme was developed as follows: an ambitious Yukos employee from the upper middle link is taken. Who does not need the reputation of "one of the managers of a bankrupt company." Whose risky situations cause a beneficial rush of adrenaline into the blood. Under promises to alleviate the fate of those who are already sitting in the Yukos case, this employee is appointed head of a company that has not yet gone bankrupt. And then - bargaining begins. But not between the employee and the authorities, but between Deripaska and Sechin. As a result, Yukos is divided not into one, but into two. Isn't that fair? If one of the largest beneficiaries of the Yukos case is a true faithful Putin who came with the second president from the depths of St. Petersburg ores, then it is logical for the second to be a member of the family of the first president.

As a victim, as you and I have already guessed, the chief lawyer of Yukos Vasily Aleksanyan was elected. Khodorkovsky's favorite, a Harvard graduate, a mess of fate. In terms of ambition and psychotype, he fit perfectly. Then they said that he hoped to earn a whole $1 billion from his participation in the Yukos final.

As far as can be judged, at the end of March 2006, a historical meeting of the chief lawyer of Yukos with Oleg Deripaska himself took place. During this meeting, the VIP son-in-law confirmed the seriousness of his intentions. And he guaranteed: Aleksanyan is completely safe. Both in the Kremlin and in the General Prosecutor's Office everything is agreed. Aleksanyan's task is to ensure the process of soft bankruptcy of Yukos so that everyone is fine. And so that the family of Boris Yeltsin could become a full-fledged player in such a rapidly growing oil market. The prize is the coveted $1 billion. Plus worldwide fame, which is much more important.

On April 1 (a gloomy joke!), 2006, Yukos President Stephen Tidi issues an order appointing Vasily Aleksanyan as executive vice president of the company with the actual powers of president - thereby admitting that Tidi himself, chained to London and not entering Russia, can no longer quickly manage the seriously wounded oil giant. Aleksanyan becomes the head of Yukos - his last leader "of his own."

A new executive vice president with presidential powers zealously takes up the cause. Its first task is to restore the manageability of Yukos-RM, which is engaged in all sales and controls the main financial flows of the oil and gas empire within the country. By that time, Yukos-RM President Anatoly Nazarov had already realized that resistance to the Sechin onslaught was useless, and loyalty to Khodorkovsky was more meaningless. He openly works for Rosneft and is preparing to hand over Yukos-RM to the upcoming side.

Aleksanyan is trying to stop this process. Using his new powers, he appoints Roman Khomenko, one of the last managers who has not yet moved to the Sechin side, as the first vice president of Yukos-RM for commercial issues. It is clear that the next step should be the dismissal of Nazarov himself. The president of Yukos-RM goes underground, hoping that he will not have to endure the new eccentric leadership for long. This calculation is justified.

On April 6, Vasily Aleksanyan is to arrive at the Simonovsky Court, where the case is being heard on charges of his embezzlement of shares in 12 Yukos subsidiaries led by Tomskneft. In court, everything is ready for his arrest - it is visible to the naked eye. After receiving a wake-up call from his lawyer Gevorg Davtyan, Aleksanyan disappears. His mobile phone is now locked. He seems to be beginning to understand that the security guarantees given by Deripaska are not working. Sechin, as in 2003, plays all-in. It is important for him to destroy in the bud the very idea that someone other than him has the right to encroach on the assets of Yukos.

Aleksanyan will be arrested the next day, April 7. In a certain apartment on Zemlyanoy Val. Where he, not yet completely losing hope of a powerful career breakthrough, will discuss with the deripasky envoys a scenario of immediate action. When the police come to detain Aleksanyan, the door will not open to them. As if expecting that you can stand for a day, and hold out the night. The door eliminates the landing from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. From Zemlyanoy Val, the executive vice-president of Yukos will go straight to Sailor Silence. Deripaska, apparently, washed his hands. He did not try to help Aleksanyan get out of prison. Well, it didn't work out with Yukos. It happens. In conclusion, as you know, the failed president of Yukos became blind, fell ill with AIDS and tuberculosis. With great difficulty, Aleksanyan managed to first move from the cell to the prison hospital, where he was held handcuffed to bed, and then (2008) to be released on bail. Only in 2010, the Aleksanyan case was dismissed - on non-rehabilitating grounds, of course.

A year later, Valentin Yumashev's son-in-law will make a second attempt to enter the oil business. Through the purchase of Russneft, glued piece by piece by the former president of Slavneft, the largest businessman of Ingush origin, Mikhail Gutseriev. And Gutseriev will also make an attempt to grab some pieces from the ruined, but still lordly table of the Khodorkovsky empire. In favor of the same Deripaska with his woke oil ambitions.

Sechin will again be categorically against. Although Deripaska will be able - thanks to the assistance of his immediate family - to get a formal "go-ahead" for an oil mega-deal from Putin himself. It didn't help. Gutseriev was then forced to flee to London.