The article investigates the use of Cyprus-registered RAIFs to obscure ownership of luxury assets linked to sanctioned Russian banker Kostin. It highlights the challenges in enforcing sanctions due to the light regulatory framework of RAIFs, which were used to hide ownership of megayachts and real estate. The investigation reveals the involvement of Vassiliades and his law firm in marketing these funds, despite sanctions against him for enabling Russian oligarchs. The article also identifies Eric Whyte and Natalia Solozhentseva as co-conspirators in managing Kostin's assets, raising questions about the effectiveness of current transparency laws.

Boriss and Arkadi Rotenberg, prominent Russian oligarchs sanctioned after the 2014 annexation of Crimea, managed to protect their wealth with the help of Western lawyers, bankers, and business service providers. Leaked emails from 2013-2020 reveal how they evaded sanctions and maintained their fortunes, estimated at $4.9 billion by Forbes. The investigation, part of the 'Rotenberg Files' series by IStories and OCCRP, exposes the significant role of Western entities in aiding the Rotenbergs.

The article discusses the importance of leadership in football, highlighting how the lack of leaders contributed to the poor performances of Arsenal and Chelsea, while the presence of leaders like Mamadou Sakho and Troy Deeney helped Crystal Palace and Watford secure surprising victories. It reflects on the decline of strong personalities in modern football and emphasizes the need for a balance between technical skills and leadership qualities in successful teams.

Two Ukrainian businessmen, Vladimir Yevdokimov and Roman Chelnokov, are linked to Vladimir Kokorev, a Russian alleged to be a front man for Equatorial Guinea's ruling Obiang family. Kokorev, arrested in Panama and extradited to Spain, is accused of laundering $26.5 million of embezzled oil money. Yevdokimov, a former Ukrainian security official, was imprisoned for smuggling missiles to Iran and China, while Chelnokov, Equatorial Guinea's honorary consul to Ukraine, is involved in the arms trade and civil aviation. Both have used Panamanian companies to sell military equipment to Equatorial Guinea. The article highlights the deep-rooted corruption and illicit activities involving the Obiang family and their associates.

Prince Michael of Kent, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, has long been involved in business dealings with Russian businessmen Sergey Markov and Maxim Viktorov, who have ties to oligarch Boris Rotenberg. Despite his royal credentials, Prince Michael's business ventures, including RemitRadar, have faced significant challenges. Leaked emails reveal that Markov and Viktorov helped Rotenberg circumvent Western sanctions, although there is no evidence that Prince Michael was aware of these efforts. The article highlights criticism from British MP Margaret Hodge regarding Prince Michael's business associations, especially in light of the UK's stance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Despite distancing himself from the Kremlin, Prince Michael remains a shareholder in RemitRadar alongside his Russian partners.

Leaked emails reveal how Russian oligarchs Boriss and Arkadi Rotenberg, close associates of Vladimir Putin, managed to protect their wealth and evade Western sanctions with the help of Western lawyers, bankers, and business service providers. Despite sanctions imposed after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Rotenberg brothers' wealth has continued to grow, reaching an estimated $4.9 billion. The documents, obtained by IStories and OCCRP, provide an unprecedented look into the mechanisms used to shield their assets, raising questions about the effectiveness of sanctions and the complicity of Western entities.

An investigation reveals that an Austrian chalet, allegedly frequented by Vladimir Putin's daughter Maria Vorontsova and her former partner Jorrit Faassen, was purchased through a complex financial scheme involving offshore companies and a hidden loan from Arkady Rotenberg, a sanctioned Russian oligarch. The property, officially owned by Wayblue Investments Limited, was bought using funds channeled through a Latvian bank owned by the Rotenberg brothers. Despite Austrian authorities' investigations, the true ownership remains obscured. The article underscores the intricate methods used by Russian elites to conceal their assets and avoid sanctions.

Latvian citizen Marija Borodunova is allegedly acting as a front for the properties of sanctioned Russian billionaire Arkādijs Rotenbergs. Despite her obscure background, Borodunova has amassed a significant real estate portfolio across Europe, including a €65 million penthouse in Monaco and a villa in France. Leaked emails reveal her connections to Rotenbergs and the efforts to obscure the true ownership of these assets. The investigation highlights the extensive resources oligarchs use to circumvent sanctions, maintaining their luxurious lifestyles despite international restrictions.

The Spanish Government has frozen a luxurious mansion in Oliva owned by Russian oligarchs Boris and Karina Rotenberg, close friends of President Vladimir Putin. The property, acquired through complex corporate operations involving companies in tax havens, has been under scrutiny following EU sanctions against individuals supporting Putin's regime. The Rotenberg Files, a leak of over 50,000 emails and documents, reveal the schemes used by the Rotenbergs to protect their assets from Western sanctions. The investigation, involving infoLibre in Spain and the OCCRP, highlights the opaque financial and legal maneuvers, including the use of a Maltese company, Bangalor Holding Limited, to conceal the true ownership of the mansion.

The article details an investigation into Ukrainian officials and individuals using a network of offshore companies and bank accounts for money laundering, tax evasion, and asset hiding. Among those implicated are former parliament members, law enforcement officials, and relatives of top defense and anti-corruption officials. The investigation reveals the purchase of properties in various countries, including a London apartment by Oleksandr Tereshchenko, the son of a Ukrainian defense sector official, using funds from a Seychelles company, Berly Trade Ltd., with a Latvian bank account. Other cases involve Mykola Gerasimyuk, Ukraine's former deputy prosecutor general, and Roman Zabzalyuk, a former member of Ukraine's Parliament, both of whom used similar schemes for property deals and personal expenses. Gennady Balashov, a former MP and libertarian politician, and his party co-founder Oleg Prytula were also found to have transferred large sums to the US for real estate investments. The article also mentions Yan Klushke, the son of an anti-money laundering expert, as a client of the offshore network.