Volodymyr Yevtushenkov – Background Check

Introduction

Volodymyr Yevtushenkov is a Russian billionaire and founder of AFK Sistema — aconglomerate spanning telecommunication (MTS), e-commerce (Ozon), electronics, forestry, pharmaceuticals, and defence-related industries, operating across Russia, the EU, Ukraine, and multiple offshore jurisdictions. The objective was to compile a comprehensive person of interest profile covering financial crimeallegations, sanctions exposure, overseas assets, and political connections.

Methodology

The profile was built through open-source intelligence, drawing on corporate registry filings, litigation records, US DOJ and SEC disclosures, the FinCEN Files, sanctions databases, and property records across multiple jurisdictions.

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Findings

• Back-to-back loan scheme: East-West United Bank, wholly owned by Sistema, was cited by Ukraine's Deposit Guarantee Fund in connection with large-scale money-laundering structures.
• 2014 — Bashneft case: Charged with money laundering and unlawful acquisition of Bashneft; case dropped in 2016, but Sistema paid RUB 100 billion in settlement in 2017.
• 2019 — MTS bribery: MTS paid $850 million to the US DOJ and SEC over a large-scale Uzbekistan bribery scheme.
• FinCEN Leaks (2020): Suspicious MTS payments flagged to an offshore entity linked to Anar Makhmudov.
• Defence exposure: Archival data lists Element (a microelectronics JV with Rostec) and Aeromax (a drone operator) among Sistema holdings.
• Overseas assets: Two London properties valued at ~£31 million; three villas in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France, including "Villa Waikiki."

Sanctions

• Australia sanctions (April7). After the UK sanctions, Yevtushenkov transferred 10% of Sistema shares to his son and stepped down as Chairman.
• UK sanctions (13 April 2022): designated for supporting sectors of the Russian government.

Ukraine-Related Activity

• Owned Ukrainian Vodafone assets through VF Retail / VF Ukraine / IT Smartflex (via Dutch entity Preludium B.V.) before selling them to Bakcell in 2019 for $734 million.
• Co-founder of ITM-Ukraine together with NVision (Czech Republic); winner of the 2017 Mobile ID implementation tender.
• Beneficial owner (2016–2020) of Sitronics Telecom Solutions Ukraine, referenced in a case involving tax evasion and excessive price markups (no conviction).

Connections & Networks

• Linked to the inner circle of Viktor Yanukovych via the “Kedr” hunting club (along with Boyko and Demishkan; information from the Mezhyhirya archives).
• Family: wife Natalia; children Tetyana (Sberbank) and Felix (board member at Sistema/MTS); sister-in-law — Elena Baturina.