06/02/2024
In this article, Molfar agency present the stories of four Russian diplomats who, under the guise of their diplomatic roles, continue to advance Russian influence not only in the political sphere but also in the economic, business, and educational sectors.
Alexander Potemkin, originally from the Ukrainian town of Khust, fled to Israel after manipulating the stock exchange in Ukraine. Stanislav Tolkach, a former Russian ambassador to Croatia, draws attention with his love affairs and racist statements. Vasiliy Chechin finds himself embroiled in corruption schemes and faces accusations of domestic violence. Sergey Stupar, a Russian trade representative still working in Slovakia, negotiates partnerships with local businesses.
Ukrainian hackers provided the Molfar agency with email dumps, which we have analyzed. And now you can read about it in this article.
Sergey Stupar — is a Russian spy in Slovakia
Stupar Sergey Kuzmich
Email: [email protected],
Phone: +421907119167,
Skype: live:stupar2007,
A Russian individual who still resides and works in Europe continues to spread Russian influence in an EU country. Sergey Stupar has been Russia's "trade representative" in Slovakia since 2022.
Russian mineral fuel for Slovakia: "SILK ROAD Slovakia s.r.o" specializes in finding suppliers. In 2022, Stupar had a meeting (1, 2) with representatives of this company, where they discussed trade possibilities between Slovakia and Russia, considering the "current economic conditions," including sanctions and the conflict Russia initiated in Ukraine. After the meeting, Stupar summarized on Facebook that "the potential for Slovak-Russian trade and economic relations remains high despite the sanctions."
Slovak drills for Russian "Lancets". In the summer of 2022, Sergey Stupar negotiated with influential Slovak business community representatives. Among them was Milan Mandak, the company's CEO, "MASAM," which specializes in producing drills, milling cutters, and other equipment. Stupar and Mandak discussed future plans, including how to support companies in the face of sanctions, develop production in Russia, and participate in Russian exhibitions in 2022.
This company has an official trade representation in Russia. On their website, there is a product catalog. In this catalog, Russians proudly state that they cooperate with "MASAM." They also mention their collaboration with the "Kalashnikov Concern." The "Kalashnikov Concern" includes Zala Aero, the manufacturer of "Lancet" drones. Therefore, it is pretty likely that the products of the "MASAM" company are used in the production by the Russian company Zala Aero, which we have previously investigated.
Visa for a Slovak Deputy. In the fall of 2022, Stupar received a letter from Sergey Yanikovsky. He is an employee of the Russian "MINPROMTORG." The letter contained a request for visa support for the head of the Slovak National Party, Andriy Danko, and the issuance of a multiple-entry visa to Russia for him for one year. Andriy Danko (FB) was the only European politician who visited the military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2019.
Facilitating investment in Russia — the silicon for Russian missiles. In October 2022, Robert Matveyovich, the chief editor of the publication "Dimenzie," wrote to Stupar requesting support for a "group of Slovak investors who would like to invest in Russia." The project involves producing silicon ingots, which are raw materials for semiconductor microchip manufacturing. He mentioned that in the village of Cinobaňa, with the "generous assistance of the municipality," the project for silicon ingot production could be realized. There is an industrial park in that village, which can be sold along with the land. Matveyovich notes that the "selling price of the land with halls and buildings currently stands at €640k." The estimated amount of investment is approximately €4m.
Silicon ingots are crucial in developing modern military technologies, particularly rocketry. They serve as the foundation for producing silicon wafers, which are used to create integrated circuits and various electronic components. These components ensure navigation accuracy and control for missile guidance systems. Additionally, silicon ingots are utilized in manufacturing military equipment, ranging from radar systems to electronic targeting devices.
Also, Matveyovich asked for money from Stupar to fund the media.
Turkey eggs, ventilation, ore, concrete pillars. In October 2022, Stupar met with the CEO of the "Adrian Group," a Slovak heating and ventilation equipment manufacturer. They discussed the continuation of their cooperation, collaboration in supplying equipment to Russian customers, exploring new logistical opportunities, and participation in export forums and exhibitions in Russia in 2022. For example, in February 2023, representatives from the "Adrian Group" visited the "AquaTerm-2023" exhibition in Moscow. In the same month, there was a meeting with the head of the company "BRANKO Nitra a.s." — Vladimir Horvat — regarding the implementation of an investment project for the construction of a 4.5 million turkey egg incubator in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.
Sergey Stupar corresponded with Andriy Churilov, an employee of the company "AO "HK "Metalloinvest," regarding the supply of ore concentrate and iron ore pellets from Russia to the Kosice Metallurgical Plant in Slovakia. Meanwhile, Jan Badzgon, the director of the "Castor@Pollux group," stated in a letter that despite the challenges they face due to sanctions, the company intends to continue working in Russia.
In January, the head of the "PLD" company, William Ganovsky, promised to resume an investment project to construct a plant that produces concrete pillars for power lines. They plan to restore production in the Russian city of Taganrog. The project involves €4 million in investments. The Slovak entrepreneur even registered a joint venture with a Russian partner in Russia and is ready to proceed to the main stage of project implementation.
So, Stupar is currently actively working on facilitating cooperation between Slovak politicians and entrepreneurs with Russia. Before that, Stupar was actively building a network of connections in the Czech Republic, Spain, and the United States, having a background working in the Russian State Duma until 2014. For example, on October 10, 2013, he received a concept for a "new educational and methodological complex on domestic history," which includes a list of "difficult questions of Russian history," including a section on "the annexation of Ukraine to Russia (causes and consequences)." He was part of the Russian State Duma delegation to Washington in 2012, as revealed in correspondence (1, 2) with Valery Levitsky, Deputy Chief of the International Cooperation Department of the State Duma's apparatus, regarding flights (1, 2, 3) between Moscow and Washington. He also received confirmation letters (1, 2, 3) for hotel reservations at Phoenix Park.
Spain. Stupar participated in the activities of the House of Russia in Barcelona in 2012 and was a member of the Board of Trustees of this foundation. Stupar was scheduled to report on financing the House's activities at the end of 2012 and 2013.
Czech Republic. For 5 years, from 2014 to 2019, Stupar worked at the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in Prague. He wrote several times to his former colleague, Veronika Romanishina, about how he enjoyed not being in Russia: “I work, adapt, get used to the new role and life. Everything is fine here; it's a completely different reality. It's normal life. How are things in the State Duma (editor's note - Гос-дума)? From here, everything looks different, some frantic activity and a celebration of absurdity... well, okay...”
In July 2017, in one of his interviews (1, 2), Stupar mentioned his concern about his arrival in the Czech Republic and the sanctions against Russia. However, "from the inside, the situation looked different": "The Czech business community has not changed its attitude toward Russian business, but the focus of relations has shifted from the federal level to the regional level."
In June 2016, Stupar received a message that the organization "CLOVEK V TISNI" had released a unique collection titled "The Military Left, Spies Remain" on the anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Czechoslovakia. This collection discussed the bloated size of embassies, Russian spies, and Russian propaganda.
Real estate in Latvia. By the end of January 2011, Stupar was actively engaged in correspondence with Maxim Takhtamirov from Riga regarding the purchase of property (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11). Stupar emphasized that the funds he planned to use for the purchase had a legal origin derived from the sale of another property. Takhtamirov later confirmed opening a bank account for the transaction and indicated the need to transfer €145,740, of which €142,500 was intended to pay for the property.
This property was purchased (1, 2, 3) by Sergey Stupar's wife, Natalia Kryuchkova (1, 2). The property address is Mazā Ķiršu iela 30, Garciems, Carnikavas pagasts, LV-2163, Latvia.
In 2018, Stupar sold a property (1, 2, 3) in the Moscow region, which included a land plot of 400 square meters and a garden house with auxiliary buildings covering an area of 53.9 square meters in the city of Klin. This transaction was valued at 975,000 Russian rubles.
Stupar's family
Natalia Viktorovna Kryuchkova (Russian: Наталья Викторовна Крючкова) — born on May 28, 1969, email: [email protected]. She is a wife and used to work at a school. Likely, either Natalia or Sergey cannot have children, so they have two children named Andrey (born on December 11, 2002), whom they adopted in 2008, and Yana, born in 2011 adopted in 2014.
In their correspondence, Sergey's wife, Natalia, often talks about Andrey's health, as he has a disability. In the letter dated November 18, she describes in detail how they spent their vacation in clinics, undergoing treatment courses to correct Andrey's posture, including massages, gymnastics, and the use of an exceptional trainer.
Since September 2014, Andrey has started attending school (1, 2) in Prague, where he attends the school at the Russian embassy. Currently, he is studying in Moscow.
Playing the bribery game with Moroccan students – Vasiliy Chechin
Chechin Vasilyi Olegovich
Email: [email protected]
He began his career in "Rossotrudnichestvo" (a Russian government agency responsible for promoting Russian language, culture, and education abroad) and worked in Egypt and Congo. In March 2012, he was the head of the Russian Cooperation representation in Morocco.
In April 2013, Chechin delivered a presentation (1, 2) at the First Regional Conference of Youth Organizations of Russian Compatriots in the Middle East and Africa in Amman titled "Our Russian World." He noted that most participants in the section were children of mixed marriages between Moroccans and citizens of states formerly part of the Soviet Union. He emphasized that the foundation of this association was their love for Russia, its culture, traditions, and language. They established the Russian language, culture, and education departments in this section.
In July 2013, Chechin contacted Larisa Yefremova (1, 2), the deputy director of "Russian Cooperation," requesting assistance in helping Moroccan citizen Britel Valaa obtain a government scholarship to study in Russia. However, a series of cases can be traced where Chechin acted as an intermediary. The following year, he applied for the admission of Moroccan applicant Ali Brahimi Hamza, a relative of an influential prefect in Rabat, to the Astrakhan State Medical Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Chechin likely received multiple bribes for facilitating Moroccan citizens' admission to Russian universities. However, his corrupt activities didn't necessarily stop there.
In 2014, he received a letter from the chief accountant of the "Russian Cooperation" representation in Morocco. The accountant mentioned that the media (the specific name was not mentioned) would not publish their article for free, so he would go to the editorial office to find out how much it would cost.
In 2022, Chechin returned to Moscow. In January, he signed a contract to promote Russian higher education in Morocco and attract international students to study in Russia on a fee-paying basis. Check-in acted as the representative of the company "SARL ARESMA PRIVEE" and LLC "RAKUS" (ООО "РАКУС") on behalf of Nutsalov Avbakar Khatipovich, the general director of Rakus. In June 2022, Chechin wrote a letter to his brother, Ali Nutsalov, from "RAKUS," also his partner in the contract. In the letter, he mentioned that Avbakar had "betrayed" him. The agreement was likely created for money laundering. In August 2022, a report was filed against "RAKUS," leading to the dismissal of the entire education department.
"The ship is sinking," and "Russia needs a new Stalin," says the spy Chechin
Chechin uses the Russian social network "Odnoklassniki." In 2016, he sent (1, 2) links to his friends and relatives to a propaganda community called "Antimaidan and there is, 946000 of us Truth and God is with us!" ("Антимайдан и нас 946000 с нами Правда и Бог!")
However, Chechin is also dissatisfied with the situation in Russia itself. He writes about this to his friends Yuri Morozov and Janina Enzanzi ([email protected]), who previously worked at the Russian cultural center in Congo.
Vasily Chechin — a story of a domestic tyrant
The son accuses Vasiliy of domestic violence. In October 2009, he wrote a letter accusing his father. In response, Vasiliy wrote that his first wife had attacked him, hitting him on the head, saying, "My glasses almost flew off my nose," and that it was the third time his wife had assaulted him.
In June 2017, Vasiliy's wife, Maria, sent him a letter mentioning that their daughter Tamara was either sick or possessed by a demon. Chechin replied that she had experienced "bursts of abnormal and foolish laughter" before and that "whether it's a demon or not, she needs to seek treatment."
Working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia is uncomfortable, — Tolkach Stanislav
Tolkach Stanislav Nikolaevich
Emai: l[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
Phone: +79164299038
Skype: elsovietico2
The Russian ambassador to Croatia described the city of Zagreb and its people as "a battered garden" and "townsfolk-villagers" (1, 2) during his tenure as a senior adviser to the Russian Embassy in Croatia, where he dealt with foreign policy from 2017 to 2022. In his view, Croatia was a "provincial country." However, he attempted to promote Russia's position there against Ukraine. In February 2019, he wrote to ask to discuss Ukraine and the situation in the Kerch Strait with Kristina Lahovski, a representative of Croatia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
In 2021, he applied for a job at the OSCE, but it did not work out. Later, he returned to Russia and has worked in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifically in the Department of New Challenges, Counterterrorism Unit, since the summer of 2022. In April 2023, he took an exam, presumably for professional development. In a letter dated January 13, 2023, he wrote:
The romantic drama of a Russian diplomat/spy
Stanislav Tolkach's personal life resembles a Russian melodrama. In 2009, he was still married to Natalia Tolkach. He found someone else when his wife was undergoing treatment at a clinic in Russia.
Stanislav Tolkach wrote about his wife's depressive state. From June 2009, he engaged in active correspondence with Anna Mokina, who was also married then. Their correspondence continued similarly for several months (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). In letters to his brother in June 2009, he mentioned that his "wife has gone crazy" and is making his life unbearable. He also mentioned this in correspondence with a friend in June 2009.
His first wife passed away in early 2010 due to a brain hemorrhage resulting from a car accident. In December 2018, Tolkach accused Anna Mokina of his wife's death, claiming that her mission in 2009 was to destroy his family. By 2022, he was in a relationship with another woman, Maria Lobanova, who likely also worked at the Russian embassy, as their previous correspondence pertained to arranging a meeting with the ambassador.
Orthodoxy, racism, a firm hand — personal views of the Russian diplomat
In the mind of the Russian diplomat Tolkach, a combination of beliefs may seem challenging to reconcile. For example, he has repeatedly mentioned that he is Orthodox and enjoys contemplating religious questions (1, 2, 3). However, he also expresses an interest in communism and considers it a "good idea," albeit imperfect. He has also exhibited signs of racism, stating his dislike for "Asian and Caucasian physiognomies" (1, 2). He is likely a proponent of conspiracy theories, as he believes that in today's globalized world, there are fewer independent leaders and figures like Macron or Zelensky may be agents of someone else's agenda.
Stanislav Tolkach, at one point, worked at the Russian Embassy in Nicaragua. There, he met Natalia Dyakonova, the wife of the Russian ambassador in that country. In their regular correspondence, they exchanged thoughts on politics and history and shared personal experiences, including their feelings about the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In December 2019, Tolkach said Russia needed an "iron fist." He also believed that the country would eventually return to socialism, and he referred to Stalin as a "great historical figure." In his letters to Dyakonova, he also mentioned that working in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was uncomfortable. However, as of the end of 2023, he had remained in his position.
In February 2022, when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Tolkach discussed these events with Dyakonova. She supported Russia's actions, calling them "precision work," and expressed disdain for the West. In a letter from March 2022, Dyakonova referred to Vladimir Putin as a "smart guy" who was able to give a rebuff to "arrogant NATO gorillas."
In his geopolitical musings and discussions of wars, Tolkach tends to blame anyone except Russia. This logic has been characteristic of him for a long time. As far back as 2013, he sent his daughter an article in which the author contemplates that the British and the West are the culprits behind all the world's wars. The goal of these wars, according to the article, was to weaken Russia. Everyone around Russia is considered an enemy who wants to take a piece of Russian land.
Family:
- Nikolai Demyanovich Lutskov (Russian — Луцков Николай Демьянович) — likely, is a father: his name was mentioned in the subject of the letter where Tolkach discusses the arrival of the father with Kateryna Lutskova.
- Lutskov Anatoliy Demyanovich (Russian — Луцков Анатолий Демьянович) — an uncle. In October 2022 and May 2023, he received letters (1, 2) with literary works from Anatoliy Lutskov, who worked as a translator in Tanzania with Soviet agricultural specialists.
- Tolkach Aleksandr (Russian — Толкач Александр) — a brother. From 1999 to 2004, he was also a Russian diplomat. From 2010 to 2014, he worked at DTEK and lived in Kyiv, where Stanislav visited him in 2012. According to Li, in 2014, he moved to the United States, and in 2019, he indicated Cyprus as his location.
- Tolkach Aleksandr Aleksandrovych (Russian — Толкач Александр Александрович) — likely, referred to as the father. He addressed him as his father in his messages. He has been working in the diplomatic service since 1975. It is probable that Stanislav Tolkach studied at a school in Belgrade due to his assignments.
- Tolkaсh Lyudmila Alekseevna (Russian — Толкач Людмила Алексеевна) — presumably, a mother. She taught at the Moscow Institute of International Relations from 1969 to 2002.
- Daria Stanislavovna Tolkaсh (Russian — Толкач Дарья Станиславовна) — a daughter. She likely attended a school at the Russian Embassy in Hungary, where her grandfather, Alexander Tolkaсh, worked at the time. In his communication, it was also mentioned that his daughter stayed with her grandparents after the death of his wife, Natalia. Daria obtained a bachelor's degree from the Moscow Institute of International Relations. Then, she enrolled in the Higher School of Economics, where she studied media. On May 27, 2022, she married Anton Viktorovich Vasilyuk. Contacts: [email protected], +79166084058, TG ID: 163826163.
- Olga Vladimirovna Gorte (Russian — Горте Ольга Владимировна), born on November 8, 1969 — his wife since 2012. They met her at school in Belgrade, probably also from a diplomatic family. She has a son, Anton, from a previous marriage. On June 17, 2021, they had a son together — Gleb. Olga’s contacts: odnoklasniki, +79091535455, TG ID: 2075265575
Connections with Naryshkin and the stock exchange in Ukraine — Potemkin Aleksandr
Potemkin Alexander Ivanovich
FB,
Email: [email protected]
From 1996 to 1998, he worked as the Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia. From 1997 to 1998, he was a member of the Interagency Commission of the Russian Federation on International Security. From 1999 to 2000, he held the position of Advisor to the Management Board of VTB Bank. From August 2010 to December 2014, he served as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Stock Exchange "PFTS." From 2015 to 2021, he worked as a trade representative of Russia in Austria.
According to a scanned copy of his passport, he was born in Ukraine, in the city of Khust, Zakarpattia region.
A Russian spy is vacationing in Luxembourg. In November 2008, he planned a trip to Mallorca, a famous Spanish island. Among the potential participants was his friend, Sergey Valentinovich Pavlov. Sergey was Executive Director (1, 2) at East-West United Bank in Luxembourg ([email protected]). Possibly, Jean Krecké (Jeannot Krecké) was also considered. Jean Krecké was the Minister of Economy of Luxembourg at the time.
Sergey Pavlov mentioned in the correspondence that he discussed with the minister the possibility of his participation in a vacation after the June elections. Alexander also expressed hope that in Luxembourg, ministers would retain their human qualities in high positions as quickly as they did in Russia.
Financial assets of a Kremlin agent in Ukraine and Austria
In August 2010, Alexander received an email from Oleg Belinsky ([email protected]), who presumably worked at the Stock Exchange "PFTS" in Ukraine. In the email, Belinsky discussed his plan to expand the use of the Russian ruble in Ukraine and mentioned a conversation between Dmitry Medvedev and Yanukovych regarding this matter. That same month, Alexander corresponded with Sergey Pavlov, expressing difficulties working with the Kyiv Stock Exchange (1, 2).
According to the reply of Konstantin Vaisman, the Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian JSC "VTB Bank" in February 2017, Alexander sold shares of the Ukrainian Stock Exchange "PFTS" for a sum of 35,900 hryvnias in December 2016. However, the funds were returned to his investment account due to incomplete documentation. In the same month, Alexander received a forwarded email (1, 2) from Sergey Dubinin, a member of the Supervisory Board of "VTB" bank, in which it was stated that Alexander had encountered problems in the Ukrainian branch of "VTB" bank. These problems could not be resolved by granting power of attorney to his sister, Galina Demukh, who presumably resided in Ukraine at the time.
In 2016, Alexander worked as a Trade Representative for Russia in Austria. He helped with 11 projects between Russia and Austria that cost about 4.3 billion dollars, according to an email from January 2016.
The connection between Potyomkin and Naryshkin: In April 2019, Alexander corresponded with Andrey Naryshkin, the son of Sergey Naryshkin, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. Naryshkin requested the placement of five individuals in guest apartments at the Trade Representation of Russia in Austria. Besides Naryshkin and his wife, the list included David Sergeyevich Oganyezev, the then Vice President of the sanctioned "Russian Export Center."
UPDATE:
Further investigation revealed that Andrey Narishkin has no familial ties to Sergey Naryshkin, the Director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. Andrey Narishkin holds a Ph.D. in political science and formerly managed 'RG Consulting,' a firm specializing in mining and geological consultancy. The notice also listed Oganezov David Sergeyevich, his wife, and daughter (1, 2, 3, 4), who at the time served as the Vice President of the 'Russian Export Center,' a body under sanctions.
"Against a Terrible War." After the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, Alexander and his wife left Russia. This could have been the end of the story, but his close political ties to Russia did not release Potyomkin. In July 2022, Potyomkin still paid taxes in Russia, amounting to 289.6 thousand rubles. In January 2023, he corresponded on Facebook with Alexey Mamontov (FB), the head of the "Commonwealth of Financial Market Professionals."
It is known that during this time, he had already received a credit card from the Israeli bank Leumi. In the same month, he made a car reservation through the SIXT service in Haifa, Israel.
In February 2023, he received an email from the Ulpan Sheli Hebrew language school indicating that he had registered on their website.
Real estate in Germany
In December 2009, Alexander and his wife Tatiana purchased real estate in the German city of Garmisch for a total of $529.2k:
- Garmisch, Blatt 1178, (Rieberkopfstr. 41, 41a, 43, 43a), Hause B, № 4;
- Garmisch, Blatt 11796, Hause B, № 6 (presumably, a basement space);
- Garmisch, Blatt 11819, Hause B, № 8 (presumably, a parking space)
Personal life. Like his colleague Tolkaсh, he had a lover with whom he corresponded from 2009 to 2021. Her name was Irina Ukrainian, and she was from Moscow (1, 2, 3, 4). In August 2011, Irina sent a letter mentioning that she had forgotten to send some articles because she was "enchanted by a pleasant evening." In May 2016, she wrote that she planned to go to Vienna and asked if she could stay in Alexander's hotel, to which she received his approval.
Typical Russian diplomacy
Some of these so-called diplomats are openly racist. They hate Ukraine and adore Putin, supporting and glorifying the war. The international community needs to remain vigilant and take measures to counter not only open but also hidden Russian aggression. However, as we can see from their personal correspondence, not everyone is pleased with the Russian system: some flee to Israel, others are uncomfortable working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and some enjoy life in a "decaying" Europe, considering the Czech Republic a land of opportunities where the state does everything for the people.
