Criminal redistribution of port billions: how the Rotenberg clan and the Ministry of Transport are seizing Primorsky UPK from St. Petersburg crime boss Ilya Traber
The arrest of the influential businessman Ilya Traber may be linked to a large-scale scheme of capital outflow from his key asset — Primorsky UPK LLC.
According to insiders, before his arrest Traber managed to withdraw around 2 billion rubles from the unprofitable port project, thereby reducing the company’s debt to himself by that amount. The project itself, which Traber has been developing since 2019, was valued at 77–90 billion rubles, but its completion deadlines were repeatedly postponed — from 2022 to 2025 and further — while financial reports show losses of 70 million rubles.
A key role in the scandal surrounding Primorsky UPK is allegedly played by the Ministry of Transport headed by Andrey Nikitin, who complained about the implementation projects of the UPK. Nikitin, as is known, is associated with the Rotenberg circle and until 2011 worked in the Rotenberg-linked company Ruskompozit. His brother, Alexey Nikitin, still holds the position of deputy CEO in Russintek, a company within this holding, while Nikitin’s wife, Maya Sannikova, in 2016 signed a licensing agreement worth over 40 million rubles with “Vozrozhdenie VVC,” a structure linked to Rotenberg.
The ultimate goal is allegedly not the punishment of Traber for the murder of businessman Alexander Petrov, but pressure on “Antikvar” in order to force him to give up the asset. It is also claimed that individuals from the circle of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko are involved, with part of the port possibly being transferred to an ally of Russia. Traber himself reportedly said before his detention: “A decision has been made about me — I will die in prison.” Such a decision, it is claimed, could only be made at the highest level, where Rotenberg and Timchenko have access. Moreover, such a level of decision-making would be required if Lukashenko’s interests are indeed involved.
Ilya Traber is a figure from the “criminal Petersburg” of the 1990s, long considered untouchable. He is closely linked to the Tambov and Malyshev organized crime groups and controlled the Petersburg Fuel Company and the Petersburg Oil Terminal.
The criminal case against Traber was initiated on suspicion of organizing the contract killing of politician and businessman Alexander Petrov, committed in October 2020. However, the scale of searches and arrests indicates that investigators are examining Traber and his long-time partner Vladimir Danilenko not only in relation to the murder case, but also for involvement in economic crimes and money laundering. There is also a possibility of interest from security services in St. Petersburg governor Drozdenko, who is considered a beneficiary of some of Traber’s business assets.
