A friend of Vladimir Putin, a former Ukrainian deputy Wiktor Medwedczuk, got involved in trade with China. According to Radio Liberty, he organized deliveries to Russia from China Mercedes tractors intended for the Chinese domestic market, from which Some are then sent to Russia occupied by Russia.
According to the investigation Deliveries are carried out by Trade House Kanikurgan associated with Medwedczukregistered in Błagowieńsko. The company was founded in 2022. According to reports, its revenues exceeded $ 2 million. (currently about PLN 7.5 million) in 2023 and doubled in 2024.
The company's website includes a list of Mercedes-Benz Actros tractors for sale from 2023, manufactured at the Chinese Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive factory, Joint Venture Foton Motor and German Daimler Truck Holding. The factory started operating in September 2022, three months after the European Union imposed a ban on the export of tractors to Russia and a month before the official announcement of Mercedes with a complete withdrawal from the Russian market. Daimler told journalists that he did not export products to Russia and has nothing to do with these supplies.
In 2023 TD Kanikurgan he imported two types of goods to Russia: 84 thousand liters of Chinese Coca-Cola and 52 Mercedes-Benz tractors produced in 2022-2023. At least five of these tractors were sold to Trade House Intertechsnab registered in Lugansk.
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According to Jelena Biełousowa, head of the defense research department at the Think Tank KSE Institute, this is a classic scheme for celebrating export control using Chinese intermediaries.
Ukrainian “Kum Putin”
After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Medwedczuk was arrested in Kiev. He was in home detention and He tried to escape from the country, but was detained on the border. Later, Moscow was able to name Medwedczuk with Azovstal defenders: He and 55 other Russian soldiers were replaced with 215 people.
According to American intelligence The Kremlin planned to appoint Medwedczuk to the head of government in Kiev. Medwedczuk said earlier that Putin agreed to become the godfather of Daria in 2004.
After arriving in Russia, Medwedczuk quickly changed his business. In 2023, his five companies generated a record revenue of PLN 536.9 billion (currently about PLN 24 billion). This result was almost 80 percent. higher than in 2022. Its activity includes fuel supplies, oil production and gas stations.
