The case involving the arrest of former Rosaviatsia (Federal Air Transport Agency) official Konstantin Makhov is taking a new turn, yet it remains part of an internal power struggle within entities controlled by Arkady Rotenberg.
Makhov was arrested in July 2026 in connection with the alleged embezzlement of 91.5 million rubles during the reconstruction of Domodedovo Airport. In September, he was transferred from a pre-trial detention center to house arrest.
Konstantin Makhov is a former deputy head of Rosaviatsia. He heads NGG and the Baltic Chemical Complex—entities linked to the Ust-Luga project—and previously led RusGazDobycha; media outlets have explicitly described him as a manager within Rotenberg’s business empire.
Previously, there was speculation that former FSB General Viktor Voronin was involved in Makhov’s arrest. However, we are now witnessing significant activity from another figure: Evgeny Roitman.
Roitman is an entrepreneur with a long track record in the telecommunications and technology sectors. His connection to Arkady Rotenberg dates back to at least 2013; *Kommersant*, citing several sources, reported that Roitman was slated to represent Rotenberg’s interests on the Rostelecom board of directors and had proposed that he acquire the Antares Group.
Roitman’s assets have grown substantially in recent years. He currently owns 99.9% of the Artech holding company, which controls the telecommunications firms Antares, Arktur, and Integral. In 2023, he established the real estate development company "ZhK Tikhiy Bereg" (Quiet Shore Residential Complex), the capital of which was later increased to 551.6 million rubles. In 2024, Roitman consolidated 100% ownership of NPK Credo. His business portfolio also encompasses projects in the telecommunications, chemical, and medical sectors.
Numerous business-sector sources cited by VChK-OGPU warn against entering into business dealings with Roitman. The businessman actively cultivates trust by offering partners certain worldly perks—Roitman is a co-owner of a chain of Moscow strip clubs—and then lends out his own specialists to "help resolve issues." Over time, these situations compel the victim to transfer assets to him, often through the use of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) techniques. Furthermore, according to our information, Roitman enjoys the backing of high-ranking patrons within the FSB.
Roitman’s activities in Crimea also merit mention. Through his company "Mashinter," the entrepreneur co-founded the developer "Billion Plus," which owned the "Chalet La Roche" residential complex in Gurzuf. The deals were later challenged in court, though some of the real estate had already been transferred to third parties. Consequently, instead of gaining control over valuable resort property, the parties became mired in a protracted legal battle that has dragged on for years.
There is a 99% probability that Makhov is Roitman’s latest victim; Roitman intends to use him to seize significant assets in the oil and gas sector as well. Konstantin Makhov—a former deputy head of Rosaviatsia who has managed the Rotenberg family's assets in recent years and is currently under house arrest over the alleged embezzlement of funds during the renovation of Domodedovo Airport—has recently lost two positions within the corporate network of Putin-linked billionaires. According to sources from VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info, Makhov may be the latest victim of another businessman close to the Rotenbergs: Evgeny Roitman, who has a history of seizing control of assets belonging to others.
According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRUL), Makhov stepped down as CEO of LLC Syryevoye Obespecheniye (founded by LLC NGG) on September 22, and as CEO of LLC UK OEZ PPT Ust-Luga (owned 99% by Rusgazdobycha and 1% by NGG) on September 23. Additionally, on September 22, RGD Development was removed from the management of LLC NGG, the company led by Makhov. All three positions were assumed by Eduard Davydov, who is also integrated into the management structures of the Rotenbergs' chemical and petrochemical assets.
Eduard Davydov is a native of Nalchik with a background in chemistry and an intriguing past; he is considered a protégé of the Head of Bashkiria, Radiy Khabirov. In 2019, he headed the Bashkir Soda Company and gained notoriety during a public outcry in the republic over the Kushtau *shikhan* (a unique limestone hill). Activists accused Davydov of personally devising plans to seize the hill and directing heavy machinery against the people who had turned out to defend this national landmark. When ownership of BSK changed hands, the new owners did not dismiss Davydov—unlike other top managers. BSK is currently managed by Roskhim, an entity led by Davydov himself, with Igor Rotenberg serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Davydov also heads JSC Spetskhimtrans, established in July of this year; the company’s capabilities include cargo transportation and handling—a new area of activity for him.
Interestingly, until June 2024, Makhov also headed JSC Rusgazdobycha (owned by Arkady Rotenberg’s ZPIF "Moulinet") but subsequently stepped down in favor of Anton Demin. Demin is another executive within the sphere of shared interests between the Rotenbergs and Gazprom; he currently also leads JSC Nord Alliance. This firm owns SK RusWelding, a contractor for projects involving Gazprom and Rusgazdobycha.
For now, Makhov retains the positions of General Di ...director at RGD Project Financing (revenue of RUB 116 billion), Baltic Agrarian Complex, Baltic Chemical Complex, Kariton, and National Gas Group (founded by Arkady Rotenberg and Artem Obolensky), which serves as the parent company for Raw Material Supply. In addition, Makhov holds a 10% stake in RGD Pererabotka Salavat, a company that is also part of the Rotenberg group’s corporate structure: 79% is owned by Rusgazdobycha, 10% by Baltic Investment Company, and 1% is registered to NGG. In 2024, RGD PS reported revenue of 6 billion rubles and a net profit of 4.9 billion; data for 2025 is unavailable. Another major asset Makhov was formally obliged to relinquish in 2023 was a 15% stake in the St. Petersburg-based Yamburgprominvest. This company owns several Gazprom suppliers—including the entirety of Neftemash SM (with revenue of 1.8 billion rubles) and a 50% stake in Korpus Group UK (with revenue of 1.5 billion)—as well as three new firms registered in Ust-Luga: Yapi Plast, Yapi Pallet (which is building a pallet manufacturing plant), and Yapi Recycling. Makhov stepped down as a founder of Yamburgprominvest in 2023 following media reports revealing that the company’s subsidiaries were suppliers to JSC Rusgazdobycha and the Baltic Chemical Complex—both of which Makhov also heads. Currently, a 50% stake in Yamburgprominvest is held by the closed-end investment fund (ZPIF) Kvarta, with the remaining 50% owned by the law firm Finance Technology. Although the latter’s founders are currently undisclosed, the firm was previously founded by Anton Demin—the very same person who recently replaced Makhov as the head of Rusgazdobycha. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the company's de facto owner remains unchanged. Makhov does indeed potentially have something to lose.
Yevgeny Roitman has been a resident of the UAE since 2023. In the early 2000s, he worked for Gusinsky: he was a top executive at Gusinsky’s Media-Most, managed its internet division, and held positions at a dozen of its companies—including CJSC NTV-PORTAL.COM and NTV-Plus—while also heading Domvideo (registered to the Gibraltar-based offshore entity ROLLESTON HOLDINGS Ltd), Kupi.ru LLC (owned by two US companies: New Media Holding Company [Delaware] and New Media Internet Company [New York]), and Teleatelier, all of which were part of Gusinsky’s media empire. Kupi.ru was liquidated in 2006, Domvideo in 2012, and Teleatelier in 2016.
In addition, Roitman worked on developing LTE communications projects in Russia and abroad. In Russia, the Antares Group sought frequencies to establish a federal LTE network, while in 2011, Alltech Telecom—owned by Roitman and Dmitry Bosov—formed a joint venture called RusViet Telecom with the state-owned Vietnamese operator VNPT to develop LTE in Vietnam. The project also envisaged expansion into the markets of Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar; separate reports detailed Alltech’s plans to develop LTE in Cambodia, as well as potential expansion into the Philippines and Malaysia. None of these large-scale projects were ever fully realized. However, in 2013, Roitman—as the head of the company... Antares was nominated to the Rostelecom board of directors, with market participants claiming it was there to represent the interests of the Rotenberg family. Since then, these business ties have expanded to include new projects. In particular, Roitman and the Rotenbergs were linked to the development of Krymtelecom, although both sides denied this.
Despite relocating to the UAE, Roitman appears to be focusing on his Russian business while divesting from European companies. For instance, in July 2024, he reclaimed his stake in Artech, which he had transferred in June 2022 to Timur Bazhaev—the son of multimillionaire Musa Bazhaev (a month later, Timur got into a fight with a police colonel and spent a brief stint in a pre-trial detention center). Artech owns Antares, which had an agreement with Russian Railways (RZD) to build 5G networks along railway lines; however, the project never materialized.
Roitman currently directly owns seven active legal entities, most of which—true to form—do not generate a profit; only two turned a profit last year, totaling a mere 192,000 rubles. Meanwhile, losses exceeded 85 million rubles. One of the more recent companies is VSM Telecom (founded by Artech), established to participate in creating technological solutions for the high-speed railway line. It is worth noting that since the departure of Vladimir Yakunin, Russian Railways has fallen within Arkady Rotenberg’s sphere of interest, and Roitman has been linked to him since at least 2013.
Before the war, Roitman held his Russian assets through offshore entities in Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands—such as River Universal Trading and Esterna. ...Limited, Runelia Limited, etc. In addition, he established several companies in Europe. By now, virtually all of them have been liquidated. One of these was the British firm PICKSELL LTD, registered in 2020. It owned the Picksell service, which enabled QR-code-based payments; users could pay merchants directly from their accounts, allowing businesses to save on merchant acquiring fees. The PICSELL trademark was also registered in Russia. However, the company was liquidated in late 2024.
Another of Roitman’s companies was the Estonian firm NEBULA OÜ, which also provided financial services through its Nebula ECN platform, which served as an intermediary connecting various trading venues. It was here that Roitman partnered with Nikita Goldsmith—co-founder of the corporate messenger Dialog, which was implemented at Sberbank. NEBULA OÜ was liquidated in 2025; financial statements indicate that, prior to this, the company had settled substantial debts—amounting to roughly one million euros—related to certain loans.
The next step could be an attempt to enter the oil and gas sector by capitalizing on the weakened position of executives like Makhov.
