Publications — Underminers

Alfa Bank Stymied in Attempt to Harass Russia Researcher

Mr. Zaslavskiy’s legal battle against Alfa Bank demonstrates the innovative ways in which Russian oligarchs attempt to abuse the U.S. legal system to harass their critics.

Report: Which Kremligarchs Should Be Sanctioned by the Biden Administration?

This report argues that kremligarchs is a more relevant term than “oligarchs”, as it shows a total predominance of Putin and Kremlin over all aspects of business in Russia. The report offers the latest recommendations for individual sanctions on eight key kremligarchs close to Vladimir Putin and his regime.

CFR accepts $12 mln from Len Blavatnik against a backlash from 56 activists and foreign policy professionals

Publications, Expert CommentsIlya ZaslavskiyOctober 8, 2019Comment

The Poisoning of BP’s CEO and Oxford’s failed due diligence

This case is a good example how negligence and reluctance in instances of crime and corruption that occurred on Russian soil vis-à-vis Western investors can eventually lead not only to the undermining of best business practices. In case of BP’s harassment by Kremlin-connected oligarchs and Russian security services, reluctance of UK and US law enforcement to react led to beneficiaries of harassment to use ill-gotten means to launder their reputation at University of Oxford and in other key academic and cultural institutions in the West that all failed to adequately use their due diligence rules.

Expert CommentsIlya ZaslavskiyJune 12, 2019bp, oxford, oligarchs, due diligenceComment

Report: Hybrid Analytica: Pro-Kremlin Expert Propaganda in Moscow, Europe and the U.S.

This report was originally published by the Institute of Modern Russia in October 2018. It is written by Dr. Kateryna Smagliy, with a contribution from Ilya Zaslavskiy.

The report examines the structure of Kremlin’s propaganda-related institutions and their connections with Western and Russian academia, as well as their co-optation into the pool of proxy communicators for the Putin regime. The authors conclude that the current Russian government pursues a coherent “knowledge weaponization” strategy.

Information warfare aims to influence decision-making in the West in a way that would validate the interests of the ruling Russian kleptocracy.

The report details how Kremlin-linked think tanks design ideological doctrines and how Kremlin sympathizers promote pro-Kremlin propaganda narratives in the West.

Why comrade Sir Leonid (Len) Blavatnik is a Putin oligarch and why Hudson Institute, Harvard, Oxford and other entities should not accept his tainted money.

On 3 December 2018 Hudson Institute holds a dinner for Paul Ryan and Nikki Haley where Putin's oligarch Len Blavatnik is a major patron. Hudson reportedly says that it took a big check from Blavatnik by accident but it is tough to believe. Here is an explanation why exactly Sir Leonid (Len) is an oligarch and Kremlin/FSB's dear comrade and an account of multiple negative implications from these seemingly innocuous donations.

Expert Comments, PublicationsIlya ZaslavskiyDecember 2, 2018blavatnik, oxford, harvard, hudson, oligarchs, oligarchComment

Profile: Alexey Miller

by Yevgeniy Titov and Ilya Zaslavskiy

ProfilesAnton ShekhovtsovJuly 15, 2018sanctions, Miller, Alexey Miller, GazpromComment

Report: How to Select Russian Oligarchs for New Sanctions?

This study seeks to explore and open the debate on how existing criteria for sanctioning Russian oligarchs can be used and interpreted and what new criteria can be added to current and future sanctions by the U.S. The report is illustrated with examples of individual oligarchs and their relevant links to the criteria.