Ukrainian vodka magnate wanted by Moscow in terror probe

Evgeny Chernyak allegedly transferred millions of rubles to Kiev’s armed forces to carry out terror acts within Russia

Russia has launched a criminal probe against Evgeny Chernyak, the founder of Ukraine-based alcohol holding Global Spirits, on charges of “terrorism financing,” the Investigative Committee of Russia announced in a notice on its official website on Monday.

According to the notice, between February and April 2022 “Chernyak and other individuals entered into a criminal conspiracy to finance terrorism” and transferred more than 500 million rubles ($5.6 million) to representatives of the Ukrainian armed forces “to carry out terrorist activities” on the territory of Russia.

Chernyak also allegedly purchased and delivered more than 90 million rubles ($1 million) worth of combat supplies for Ukrainian armed forces last month.

Chernyak was put on a wanted list, with investigators currently working on establishing his whereabouts. Several residential and warehouse premises, as well as offices used by the businessman in Moscow were searched, while two of his alleged accomplices have been detained on charges of bribery. Russian authorities are also considering placing the assets of the firms belonging to Chernyak’s holding in Russia under arrest.

The founder and supervisory board chairman of Global Spirits, which owns, among others, the popular vodka brand Khortytsa, Chernyak was ranked 19th on the list of the 100 richest Ukrainians in 2021, according to Forbes. His fortune at the time was estimated at $470 million.

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In April 2022, after the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, Russian distilleries bottling Khortytsa and other brands from Global Spirits’ portfolio, as well as their distributor in Russia, TC Megapolis, changed ownership. However, sources claimed that the change was perfunctory, and Chernyak remained the unofficial head of the ventures. According to media reports, Khortytsa was the leader of the Russian vodka market, with a share of 5.3% in pre-conflict 2021.

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