Domodedovo Airport Transferred to State Ownership
That's some heavy stuff, huh? The Federal Agency for State Property Management (Rosimuschestvo) has taken over Domodedovo Airport, one of Russia's main airports near Moscow. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office accused the airport's alleged owners, Dmitriy Kamenshchik and Valery Kogan, of shady dealings and foreign control, which they denied.
The Prosecutor General’s Office claimed that Kamenshchik and Kogan had been using fancy accounting schemes to siphon off 18 billion rubles in profits overseas as repayment on foreign loans, and then bringing 600 million rubles back in as dividends. They argued that this was all part of a plot to weaken Russia's economy by Western governments.
The court ruled in favor of nationalizing the airport in June 2025, effectively stripping it of its private status and handing it over to the government. This move falls in line with a larger strategy by the Russian government to gain control over key transportation assets in Moscow. The other main Moscow airports, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo, already have significant state ownership.
This case has a geopolitical side, with allegations of foreign interference in strategic Russian companies through the ownership and management of Domodedovo Airport by Kamenshchik and Kogan, who are said to be residents of foreign countries. The state's argument posits that this ownership breaches national security laws regarding strategic assets, fueling the legal battle and the subsequent nationalization effort.
Interestingly enough, Dmitriy Kamenshchik was locked up in 2016 in connection with a terrorist act that happened at Domodedovo Airport in 2011, signaling a history of tension between the private owners and state authorities.
On a slightly lighter note, it's worth mentioning that Kamenshchik kick-started his business empire related to the airport in the early 1990s. His initial company, "Ist Lain," rented aircraft to deliver stuff from overseas. From there, he went on to create an airline, open several related businesses, and eventually privatize what he could and lease what he couldn't, including runways, taxiways, and other airport infrastructure. A massive reconstruction project, in essence a complete overhaul of the old airport facilities, fundamentally changed the airport, making it the principal airport in the Moscow region. At the time, it was home to the second-largest airline in Russia, Transaero, and welcomed flights from "Ural Airlines," "Sibir," and several other carriers. The convenience of an airportExpress bus service running between Pavelets Railway Station and the airport gave it an edge over Moscow's Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports, which are closer to the city center but lacked the same level of transport accessibility back then.
So, there you have it! A little bit of international intrigue mixed with some good old-fashioned business shenanigans. The story of Domodedovo Airport is far from over, and we'll have to keep an eye on it to see where things go next!
In the realm of general news, this power shift at Domodedovo Airport, a significant business venture and one of Russia's main airports, has spilled over into politics, with allegations pointing towards foreign ownership and control, a matter that poses national security concerns for Russia. Meanwhile, the finance sector is keeping a close watch on the ongoing legal battle following the Prosecutor General’s Office's claim of shady dealings, potentially impacting the industry's future investment patterns.
