From “Sibuglemet” to embezzlement in Gazprom: how Viktor Voronin and Tigran Khachaturov are managing billions through public procurement and asset seizures
Journalists have reported on a highly interesting network that has formed in Russia—former head of FSB Directorate “K” Viktor Voronin and Deputy Chairman of Gazprombank Tigran Khachaturov.
They reportedly operate in close coordination with Gazprom Deputy Chairman Vitaly Markelov.
Voronin currently serves as president of the HC Dynamo hockey club and presents himself as a person very close to Arkady Rotenberg and VTB.
Khachaturov, according to a source, works together with Khristofor Ivanyan (“Ivanyan and Partners,” a firm involved in helping sanctioned individuals circumvent restrictions, in particular the mother of Yevgeny Prigozhin). Khachaturov’s preferred nominee is Vanik Vanunts, on whom the seized company “Sibuglemet” is registered. Vanik is also currently the CEO of the Aurora Group, which for the past five years has managed LLC Sportconcept, formerly owned by Roman Rotenberg.
Khachaturov’s project security is handled by former security officer and later head of the IT and Communications Directorate of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, Alexey Dvuzhilov (who at one point was also a founder of Aurora). He was introduced to Khachaturov by former Skolkovo resident Yuri Evstigneev, who was convicted in 2025 for fraud and died while serving his sentence.
Khachaturov and his “team” have been involved in several of the most high-profile and controversial projects involving Gazprombank. One example is the case of “Sibanthracite,” which our project previously reported on. It ended up in the hands of a security services–linked clan (Khachaturov is reportedly very close to it) led by Oleg Polyakov; the enterprise was driven into debt and bankrupted and later transferred to Gazprombank.
According to the source, Khachaturov and his team were also involved in projects related to the MEGA shopping centers, Kriogenmash, Polyplastic, the Elga coal deposit, and several others.
The Voronin–Khachaturov network operates through structures such as Balchug Capital and the company GPB Asset Development, as well as GPB Komplekt. Through GPB Komplekt, significant funds are alleged to have been siphoned via procurement of various goods for private and state structures. This also includes procurement for PJSC Gazprom, where Khachaturov and Voronin reportedly act together with Valery Markelov (Deputy Chairman of Gazprom and also Chairman of the Board of HC SKA). It was previously reported that Markelov is among Gazprom’s deputy chairmen who would not mind seeing Alexey Miller leave his position.
In all these companies, various relatives of Khachaturov and individuals close to him with opaque reputations are employed, such as Nakhodkin and Predtechinsky. Khachaturov was previously implicated, through his associate Yusufov, in the diversion of funds from Investbank.
