The Forum holding chairman, a St. Petersburg businessman named Dmitry Mikhalchenko, along with his dependents, has had assets reclassified as state income following a court decision in Moscow. The report from Kommersant confirms a figure around 4 billion rubles tied to this move. The Moscow Khamovniki Court ruled in line with the Prosecutor General’s Office on this case.
As a result, the court ordered the seizure of 100 percent of the shares in the centers known as Immigration and Medicine, as well as a frozen sum of 460.4 million rubles. The court also directed the seizure of funds from Centerfinance LLC, the central backbone of the Forum’s corporate group—an action that reaches into the financial lifeblood of Mikhalchenko’s enterprise network. Attribution: Kommersant reports these holdings and the court’s actions in detail.
The filing alleges that Mikhalchenko leveraged ties with personnel linked to the Russian security services to secure budget funding through state contracts. This enablement is described as enriching both the financier and the individuals within his orbit, painting a picture of a network where influence and procurement intersected with public funds. Attribution: Kommersant.
In a related development, it was noted that Mikhalchenko was responsible for placing trusted allies in key roles at entities connected to the Forum. Andrei Kaminov and Stanislav Kuner, who had previously worked within companies controlled by Mikhalchenko, were appointed as director and first deputy director of FSUE Ateks, signaling how personnel decisions mirrored business interests. Attribution: Kommersant.
There were also references to last summer when authorities targeted transactions involving Mikhalchenko’s structures, including Centerfinance LLC, with withdrawals traced to the Port of Bronka near St. Petersburg. The actions described suggest a broad audit trail across several corners of the group’s financial activity. Attribution: Kommersant.
Historically, Dmitry Mikhalchenko was detained in March 2016. Initial charges focused on smuggling select alcoholic beverages purchased in European stores, loaded at the German port of Hamburg, and transported to Russia in containers under the guise of a sealant. He denied the accusations. A Moscow court later sentenced him to four years and seven months in prison for that episode. Prosecutors also accused him of organizing a criminal group that siphoned funds from FSO construction projects, including alleged embezzlement at the Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence. The case remains pending before the 2nd Western District Military Court, with ongoing statements from the defendant. Attribution: Kommersant.