Russian oligarch Deripaska sends fighters to Russian army through his company

Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's company, Rusal, is recruiting so-called volunteer soldiers, who almost immediately sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence and go to war against Ukraine.

Source: Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories), a Russian media outlet

Details: Rusal is one of the world's largest aluminium producers.

Rusal employs job applicants in companies linked to Oleg Deripaska. One example is the private security company Ruslan. The next day, the "employee" signs a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence.

After that, the employment contract is suspended, so the company can "pay bonuses".

Payments from the Ministry of Defence are 200,000 roubles [approximately US$2,180 – ed.], and from Ruslan, 100,000 [approximately US$1,090 – ed.], as they are named on bank statements: "Gratuitous payment of funds to a person performing military service under a contract".

The mercenaries are sent to the Sokol volunteer battalion, which is actually part of the Russian army.

Deripaska himself is under sanctions, but the sanctions were lifted from his company when Deripaska reduced his stake in Rusal to below a controlling interest.

In addition to Deripaska, the Russian Defence Ministry is supplied with volunteer soldiers by at least the following companies:

• Novatek, which belongs to Leonid Mikhelson and Gennady Timchenko,

• Mospromstroy, which belongs to Mikhail Gutseriev,

• PIK Group, Russia’s largest construction company, which belongs to Sergei Gordeev.

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