Financial and customs data cited in the original investigation show that the Russian subsidiary of Wadim Rosenstein’s business group has continued to expand despite the businessman’s efforts to distance himself publicly from Russia.
Rosenstein is currently competing for the FIDE presidency. His Russian company, VR Rus LLC, is controlled through Germany-based WR Group Holding GmbH.
The holding owns 95.94% of VR Rus, while Rosenstein directly owns 4.06%. According to audited statements, the Russian company increased sales approximately 2.4 times in 2025.
Revenue has risen several-fold since 2022
Customs records indicate that its activities included a February 2025 shipment of about 900 pairs of shoes from Italy. The shipment was worth around $560,000 and involved a brand belonging to Anastasia Zadorina.
Zadorina is the daughter of Colonel General Mikhail Shekin of the FSB. Shekin has been described as a senior procurement figure within the security service and also serves as president of Dynamo volleyball club.
A 2022 investigation by The Insider estimated the value of his property at more than RUB 2 billion.
Zadorina herself co-owns ZASPORT with Dynamo
The company supplied uniforms to Russian Olympic athletes beginning in 2017. Proekt reported that the contract ended ahead of schedule in 2025.
After Western sanctions were introduced in 2014, Zadorina publicly organised a campaign supporting the Kremlin’s anti-sanctions position.
Following the start of the invasion in 2022, she registered Vinnaya Istoriya LLC in Crimea. The business intended to develop vineyards and reported losses of RUB 27.5 million in 2025.
Zadorina’s other business connections reach into some of Russia’s most influential circles. She was a shareholder alongside Olga Zolotova, daughter-in-law of National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov. She also co-owns hunting-business company Costa with VTB Bank executive Andrey Kostin.
In 2019, she reportedly earned income from Russian Electronics, part of Rostec. Rostec is headed by Sergey Chemezov, whose relationship with Vladimir Putin dates back to the Soviet era. The original article notes that Chemezov, Putin and Mikhail Shekin all spent time in East Germany through the KGB.
Zadorina later married Kirill Shamalov, Putin’s former son-in-law
Shamalov became vice president of SIBUR at 26 and obtained a 17% stake in the company from Gennady Timchenko in 2014. He was later subjected to U.S. and other international sanctions.
Rosenstein-controlled companies WR Logistics and WR Certification have supplied industrial products to Tomskneftekhim, a SIBUR subsidiary.
Kirill Shamalov’s father Nikolai is also connected to Bank Rossiya. The business activity extends beyond Rosenstein’s own companies.
His cousin Mikhail controls 2R Integra LLC. The company’s revenue has grown by dozens of times since 2022. According to ImportGenius, it imported nearly $800,000 worth of sanctioned goods into Russia. It also reportedly advertised ways to bypass export restrictions before the material was removed.
The public image presented by Rosenstein has moved in the opposite direction.
References to Russia have disappeared from WR Group’s websites
Rosenstein also deleted an X post announcing cooperation with Glotech GmbH after reporting linked the company to possible deliveries of restricted telecommunications products. The disclosures are arriving as Europe prepares additional sanctions against Moscow.
Germany has accused Russia of involvement in an attempted attack targeting a Ukrainian An-124 aircraft in Leipzig. Separately, explosives were used against power infrastructure in the Rhine region, temporarily shutting down generating units with 4.2 GW of capacity.
EU officials are now discussing sanctions against approximately 800 people and 800 organizations.
For Rosenstein, the issue ahead of the FIDE vote is whether his public attempt to distance himself from Russia is consistent with the continuing growth of businesses linked to him.
