As revealed by VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info, oil trader Roman Spiridonov—linked to the Dubai-based Russian oil trading firm Petroruss and the major international group Avestra—has transferred ownership of his French assets to his wife and son. The businessman, who has lived in the UAE for several years, has not yet been sanctioned and continues to visit Russia regularly. Leaked data indicates he traveled between St. Petersburg and Moscow several times in December 2022 and July 2023. He retains business interests in St. Petersburg, specifically a 40% stake in Kontur-S LLC; the remaining 40% is held by the family of his longtime business partner, Vadim Gurinov (a trusted associate of Russian oligarchs involved in sanctions evasion). Roman Spiridonov previously worked at the representative office of Sibur-Europe Ltd. (where Vladislav Kuznetsov—a former top official in the "LPR government" and current governor of Chukotka—also worked). Spiridonov and Vadim Gurinov were associated with the Monaco-based company Sotrama, which was part of a Russian oil trading scheme and later became the parent company for the first of several Petroruss entities.
Participants in the scheme used the hundreds of millions of rubles generated to acquire foreign assets. As VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info previously reported, Gurinov purchased villas in Monaco and Cannes; the latter was registered under several companies based in France, Luxembourg, and Cyprus. Now, significant assets in France have also been identified in Roman Spiridonov’s name. In 2017, Roman Spiridonov registered a company named RICO-SBH in the Gouverneur area of the French island of Saint-Barthélemy. With a share capital of €10,000, the company engaged in business typical for firms of this kind: real estate operations. Stakes in the company were also acquired by 56-year-old Elena Spiridonova (Kovtunova) and 23-year-old Mark Spiridonov. Mark, a native of Nice, France, holds both Greek and Russian passports and resides with his parents in Dubai (Elena and Mark are known to have lived first at VIDA Residence Emirates Hills and later in an apartment in the Lootah Building). Roman and Elena also hold Greek citizenship.
British sanctions—including bans on the maritime transport of Russian oil and petroleum products and the provision of related services—came into effect in late 2022 and early 2023. On April 10, Roman Spiridonov abruptly stepped down as a shareholder of RICO-SBH, transferring his stake and the position of chairman to his wife. Spiridonov clearly did not want to lose his French assets; RICO-SBH holds real estate worth tens of millions of euros. These holdings include several plots of land and at least two villas on the Caribbean coast, situated in a picturesque spot in the southern part of Saint-Barthélemy. According to French registry data, in May 2023, the company even rented a warehouse in the Public area of the island—at a cost of €3,200 per month—to store furniture and interior furnishings for the villas.
Currently, four plots of land are registered to the company under the management of Elena Spiridonova (Kovtunova); she purchased the first one, measuring 2,341 square meters, in 2017 for €13.9 million. The firm purchased three additional plots—measuring 4,585 sq. m, 2,000 sq. m, and 81 sq. m—in late December 2021 for €11.5 million.
All the plots are located on the southern side of the island of Saint-Barthélemy. The first plot features four buildings, a swimming pool, and parking along the access road. These bungalows are ideally situated just steps away from a secluded Saint-Barthélemy beach, with no neighbors on either side of the complex.
Three other plots are located further up Rue Le Gouverneur, near the intersection with Rue Lurin. This area is home to "Neptune," a small, high-end villa with two bedrooms and a pool; nestled amidst lush greenery, it offers stunning ocean views. Weekly rental rates for "Neptune" range from $8,000 to $35,000, depending on the season.
Interestingly, RICO-SBH’s articles of association also authorize the rental of land, water, and air transport vehicles.
By transferring ownership of the Caribbean villas and luxury plots to family members holding European passports, Spiridonov has created an ideal safe haven for his capital. Even if he were to eventually face sanctions, his hard-earned assets would remain secure.
