Igor Strelkov-Girkin, a Russian serviceman, politician, publicist, employee of Russia’s Federal Security Service (1996-2013), leader of the self-proclaimed DPR (2014), wrote in his telegram channel that ‘already the sixth Russian billionaire from the Forbes list has renounced the citizenship of the Russian Federation. Billionaire Igor Makarov, who was sanctioned by the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, became the sixth Russian businessman on the Forbes list who renounced Russian citizenship since the beginning of the Russian military operation. Now he has only one citizenship - Cyprus. Timur Turlov, the founder of the investment company Freedom Finance (received citizenship of Kazakhstan), the founder and former owner of the Troika Dialog investment company Ruben Vardanyan (moved to Armenia), the investor Yuri Milner (has not lived in Russia for many years and has an Israeli passport), the founder of the fintech Revolut startup Nikolai Storonsky, who has a British passport, and Oleg Tinkov, founder of Tinkoff Bank, who has a Cypriot passport. In this text, I drew attention to one significant surname: Ruben Vardanyan. This is one of the friends and long-term sponsor of Alexander Yuryevich Borodai, a State Duma deputy and leader of the so-called "SDD".

Faktyoxla Lab. has tried to figure this out.

Here some facts from the recent past are clarified, about which at that time only predictions could be made.

Let’s note right away that Igor Strelkov-Girkin himself, by the decision of the District Court of The Hague, was recognized as one of the perpetrators of the destruction of the Malaysian Boeing and the murder of 298 people on board, for which he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment in the Netherlands. Strelkov was widely known as an active participant in the war in eastern Ukraine.

As for Oleksandr Yuryevich Borodai, the Ukrainian Security Service put him on the wanted list on suspicion of creating a terrorist group or terrorist organization (Article 258-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Borodai Alexander, after an unsuccessful "reign" in the formation of the "DPR", fled to Moscow, where in 2021 he managed to become a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the ruling United Russia party. In parallel with his political career, he is the chairman of the board of the Union of Donbass Volunteers (UDV). In 2014, he actively participated in the annexation of Crimea and the seizure of Donbass, calling himself "Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the DPR."

We have written more than once about Vardanyan's activities in Karabakh. Vardanyan's strategy is aimed not only at inciting interethnic hatred, but also at disrupting energy supplies from the Caspian basin to Europe. He uses his influence to turn the public opinion of the Armenian community of Karabakh against the world.

Now let’s move on to Vardanyan and his activities in the Ukrainian direction.

Vardanyan is an accomplice in the aggression against Ukraine. Back in January of this year, this was clearly stated by the British MP from the Conservative Party, Bob Blackman.

“Ruben Vardanyan, a Russian oligarch of Armenian origin, was transferred to Karabakh, apparently by Russia. We must understand that this is a person who has been sanctioned in connection with Russia's military intervention in Ukraine. His companies were successfully used and were involved in the process expanding the military presence in Ukraine and Karabakh,” the British politician said.

In all his speeches, Vardanyan prefers to hush up the aggression against Ukraine, thus acting as an accomplice in crimes. In his interview with BBC HARDtalk, he defiantly refused to condemn the military aggression against Ukraine, and later, in an interview with the YouTube channel "This is Osetinskaya", he called the discussion of the genocide of the Ukrainian nation "meaningless".

It is worth recalling that Ruben Vardanyan is notorious for the leadership of the Russian offshore company Troika Dialog, because of which MEPs in 2019 called on the EU to impose sanctions against him.

"Vardanyan, one of the richest men in Russia... He is accused of laundering money through offshore companies and transferring funds to powerful people in Russia," The Washington Times noted at the time.

According to the publication, he also has ties to Tehran, which supports Moscow in regular shelling of Ukraine: “His ties with Iran can be traced through the Russian Gorchakov Foundation, which organizes events in various countries, including Armenia, with the participation of government-approved speakers from Tehran.”

In October 2022, the government of Ukraine imposed sanctions against Vardanyan. Unfortunately, the Western partners of Kyiv have not yet followed this example, although in 2019 such an initiative was put forward by 22 MEPs, and in 2022, 46 members of the US Congress immediately called for it.

In April 2023, Vardanyan was included in the "Peacemaker" database of accomplices of Russian aggression. Suspected of financing terrorists are urged to immediately detain and hand over to Ukraine or NATO countries.

Now the main thing. Everyone remembers that during the Second Karabakh War, the Union of Donbass Volunteers was going to send its fighters to Karabakh to help the Armenian side. There was a frenzied propaganda about this in the Russian and Armenian media and social networks.

But on October 31, 2020, a congress of the Union of Donbass Volunteers was held in Moscow. At this congress, the same Alexander Borodai said that, supposedly, recently he has been receiving a lot of messages from volunteers about their desire to go and help Karabakh. Further, Borodai said that while Nikol Pashinyan is sitting in Armenia, who is adopting laws (On criminal liability for mercenarism - ed.), it is very problematic to go there and fight.

Moreover, he clarified that in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian volunteers would certainly support the Armenians, since today Turkiye obviously supports Azerbaijan in every possible way.

At the same time, he noted that the conditions for a trip to Karabakh were not ripe: "When we understand that the conditions have been created, then there will be a team. In the meantime, I urge all volunteers to stay in their places, wait and prepare."

Here several questions arise. What had to happen for "the conditions to ripen" for this voyage? From whom should the command come?

Conclusion: We dare to assume that before the congress, at which this statement by Borodai was made, the command did arrive. From Vardanyan. But then, someone yelled at his Armenian dog and he dutifully canceled the command. Someone realized that Ruben Vardanyan's trick could go against the interests of Russia. Given the determination and professionalism of the Azerbaijani side, the outcome of the Second Karabakh War was a foregone conclusion. And almost everyone knew about it, except perhaps the Armenians themselves.