Agri-tycoon vs. Medvedev’s “wallet”: Billionaire Moshkovich arrested in wake of conflict with rival oligarch’s family

RU

On Apr. 21, the Commercial Court of the Tambov Region held a hearing on the claims of the Rusagro group against Vitaly Yusufov. The proceedings were adjourned until June 4. By then, unless a court decision grants his release, Rusagro owner Vadim Moshkovich will have been in jail for more than three months.

Moshkovich is accused of fraud over a business conflict with Vladislav Burov, a former partner of State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin in a company called Solnechnye Produkty. This arrest itself is irregular, as conflicts between companies are normally resolved in commercial courts. Incidentally, Moshkovich's arrest was preceded by his conflict with the family of Igor Yusufov, who is nicknamed “Dmitry Medvedev's wallet.”

Dmitry Medvedev has long had a personal interest in agribusiness, and in 2023, Moshkovich's Rusagro acquired shares in Biotekhnologii from Vitaly Yusufov. According to Moshkovich, the Biotekhnologii elevator contained less barley, wheat, and soybeans than declared. The total damage is estimated at 91.3 million rubles (~$1.1 million).