Sergei Chemezov’s “Trusted Banker” continues to consolidate assets.
Perm JSC “Special Design Bureau” bought at auction the property complex of PJSC “Motovilikha Plants”, controlled by the state corporation “Rostec” and declared bankrupt in March 2018. With the initial price of the lot being 36.777 million, the transaction cost ultimately amounted to 7.355 million rubles, and the buyer company was the only bidder. The initiator of the bankruptcy of Motovilikha Plants was the All-Russian Research Institute Signal, controlled by Rostec; the state corporation itself also joined the bankruptcy process, indicating the presence of a debt of 450 million. Last September, the property of the bankrupt enterprise became the property of JSC Remdizel, registered in Tatarstan, and the state renounced its priority right to purchase assets. Remdizel was also previously affiliated with Rostec and was part of the structure of KamAZ, headed by Chemezov’s longtime associate Sergei Kogogin. The final organizational distancing of the auto giant from Remdizel could be associated with a high-profile criminal case of billions of dollars in theft, in which the main role was given to the KamSpetsMash-NC company from Naberezhnye Chelny, which was positioned as one of the regional leaders in KamAZ sales. The “Special Design Bureau”, which bought the property of the “Motovilikha Plants”, officially belongs to the Tekhnodinamika concern, a leading Russian manufacturer of aircraft equipment, which belonged to Rostec, but in December 2018 passed to the Dynamics Group of Viktor Grigoriev. The owner of NK Bank, Grigoriev, who worked at Oboronprom as a deputy to Denis Manturov (former head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and current Deputy Prime Minister), is called a “strategic investor” in Rostec, although he is better known as Sergei Chemezov’s “wallet”, consolidating in his interests assets in the defense industry. The “Trusted Banker” already controls a number of enterprises, including the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, which last year bought out the property of the bankrupt Kazan OKB named after M.P. Simonov,” whose general director Alexander Gomzin was subjected to criminal prosecution, the initiators of which were named Manturov and Grigoriev.
Motovilikha’s property went under the hammer
Bankruptcy manager PJSC “Motovilikha Plants” summed up the results of repeated bidding for the sale of more than 18.9 thousand units of inventory of the enterprise, including those with limited turnover. According to Kommersant, the initial price of the lot was 36.777 million rublesbut won the auction and became its only participant JSC Special Design Bureaubought the property for 7.355 millionthat is, five times cheaper.
The publication recalls that in September 2023, the property complex of Motovilikha Plants 1.267 billion rubles again became the property of the only bidder – JSC “Remdizel” from Tatarstan. Considering that the PJSC is a strategic enterprise, the state had a pre-emptive right to purchase its assets, which refused to use it.
PJSC Motovilikha Plants, a major manufacturer of artillery systems, was part of the structure of the state corporation“Rostec”and was declared bankrupt in March 2018. It is noteworthy that the corresponding statement was made by All-Russian Research Institute “Signal”also controlled by Rostec, which cited a debt of 32.1 million rubles.
According to the manager’s estimates, at the end of February 2018, the total amount of accounts payable of the enterprise was 13.8 billion rubles. His main creditors included Bank “Russia”, “Rosoboronexport”, Globex Bank and Rostec itself with a volume of requirements in 450 million. The situation is indicative: one “daughter” of a state corporation headed by Sergei Chemezovanother subsidiary successfully went bankrupt, and Rostec joined this process.
Is Chemezov’s hand “on the pulse” of Remdiesel?
It is worth noting here that Remdizel JSC, which bought the property of Motovilikha Plants in September 2023, may also be associated with Rostec: according to Kommersant, the company registered in Naberezhnye Chelny is the successor of another enterprise that was organizationally part of the structure “KAMAZ”in turn controlled by Rostec.
Currently, information about the founders of Remdizel is not disclosed. From media publications it is known that at least until 2017 the company belonged to the capital LLC “SSK”in turn controlled by the former presenter of the KamAZ TV channel Lyudmila Treistman. Actually, it was in the press that they called her the beneficiary of JSC Remdizel.
Whether this is true or not, we don’t undertake to judge, but for a TV presenter Ms. Treistman has quite specific interests: the fact is that the company allegedly owned by her repairs trucks and tracked tractors, and in addition, produces armored vehicles of the Typhoon family. It is possible that Lyudmila Treistman is just a figurehead, while in fact Remdizel continues to remain under the control of KamAZ, and through it, Rostec.
Another circumstance suggests this idea. Holding the post of CEO of the company since June 2020 Alexander Zakharov previously led “ZF Kama” (LLC “CF Kama”) – a joint venture of KamAZ PJSC and LLC “ZF Holding Austria GMBH” (structure of the German automaker “ZF”which withdrew from the founders in September 2022).
Headed Sergei Kogogin KamAZ closely cooperates with Remdizel: last February there were reports in the press that the plant in Naberezhnye Chelny had launched mass production of engines for trucks produced by the auto giant with an annual design capacity of 1.6 thousand units. With the volume of investment in 300 million rublespreferential loan to the company in the amount 235 million provided by the federal Industrial Development Fund.
Let us recall the high-profile story about the “landing of Moscow security forces” who carried out large-scale searches in April 2021 at Remdizel and in the offices of legal entities associated with it (trading companies “Phoenix”, “Zavgar”, “Autocrat”, “Perspective Auto”, “Ismil”). The operational and investigative activities took place as part of the investigation of a criminal case of particularly large fraud, initiated back in 2019: it was about billions of dollars in thefts committed “under the roof” of the company “KamSpetsMash-NC” businessman Nailya Manasipovawhich positioned itself as one of the regional leaders in KamAZ sales.
As the business publication Business Online wrote, investigators focused on a scheme for the sale of uncertified trucks when KamSpetsMash re-registered purchased Euro-3 trucks as Euro-4. The press mentioned among the suspects not only Nail Manasipov, his subordinates Ranis Shakurov And Olga Gilmutdinovabut also ex-director of Remdizel Faiz Khafizov and head of the company’s sales department Airat Mukhametzyanov. The timing of the searches coincided with the final legal distancing of KamAZ from JSC Remdizel. Perhaps, therefore, Sergei Kogogin, who is Chemezov’s confidant, decided to avoid unnecessary questions?
Deal in the interests of banker Grigoriev
So, after the bankruptcy of the Motovilikha Plants, the cunning Chemezov could well have “merged” their assets to the affiliated Remdizel, and that, in turn, to the Special Design Bureau (SKB JSC). Isn’t this related to the state’s refusal of the right of redemption? And here the situation looks even more interesting. The fact is that until December 2023, the founder of JSC SKB was PJSC Motovilikha Plants, then this function passed to the already well-known Remdizel. And since July 2024, the sole owner of SKB is JSC “Technodinamika”.
The Technodinamika concern itself, which was the main Russian manufacturer of aviation equipment, was controlled by Rostec, but in December 2018, 75% of its authorized capital was sold by the state corporation during a closed auction Group “Dynamics” banker Viktor Grigoriev. The transaction cost was 14 billion rubles. Rostec retained a blocking stake – 25% plus one share, as well as the right to pay annual dividends in a minimum amount 505 million rubles within five years.
It turns out that the new owner of the Motovilikha Plants property ended up being a “subsidiary” company of the Tekhnodinamika concern, controlled by Viktor Grigoriev, the main owner “NK Bank”. Online, Grigoriev is called a “shadow business partner” or simply Chemezov’s “wallet,” consolidating defense assets in the interests of the head of the state corporation. At Rostec they prefer to talk about a banker as a “strategic investor.”
Back in the 90s, Grigoriev was one of the co-owners KASKOL Groupswhich owned shares in a number of enterprises in the aviation and space industries, including the Ulan-Ude Aviation and Rostov Helicopter Plants. The businessman is close not only to Chemezov, but also to the current Deputy Prime Minister, former head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturovunder whom he worked in “Oboronprom”where as first deputy he headed the directorate of helicopter programs and took part in the creation of the holding “Russian Helicopters” (currently part of Rostec).
By the way, back in 2017, the same Manturov in one of his interviews mentioned plans to attract investors to Technodinamika, without specifying, however, who exactly he had in mind.
Chemezov’s “Wallet” consolidates assets
The assumptions of journalists and bloggers about Grigoriev’s consolidation of defense assets are not based out of nowhere. Thus, in February 2019, Kommersant reported the acquisition by Moscow JSC “GK Sfera” 50.99% of shares previously controlled by Rostec Saratov Electrical Instrument-Making Plant (SEZ) named after. Sergo Ordzhonikidze”. According to the publication, not only Sfera itself, which at the time of the transaction already owned 24.9% of the enterprise, was connected with NK Bank, but also the companies from which the shares were purchased – Macron-ST LLC And LLC “Business and Investments”.
The media called Grigoriev one of the beneficiaries “Ural Civil Aviation Plant” (JSC “UZGA”), who bought it for 64 million rubles unsecured property of a bankrupt Kazan “OKB named after M.P. Simonov”including spare parts, components, materials and equipment of the once promising research and production association. The bankruptcy of the OKB was preceded by the initiation of a criminal case against its general director and chief designer Alexandra Gomzinaarrested on charges of theft 900 million rublesallocated for the creation of a heavy attack drone “Altair” (later renamed to “Altius”).
Later, this charge against the top manager was dropped “due to non-involvement,” but instead a new one was immediately brought forward – of fraud on 494 million. The publication “Our Version” pointed to the then Minister of Industry Denis Manturov as the initiator of the criminal prosecution of Gomzin. In a collective appeal sent to the president in May 2019, employees of the OKB named after M.P. Simonov” was the name of their leader “a victim of a corporate conflict with a group of shareholders affiliated with Grigoriev”. The reason was Gomzin’s refusal to transfer the stake in the enterprise to representatives of UZGA JSC, controlled by the banker.
In December 2020, Chemezov announced plans to sell a “subsidiary” to Technodinamika NPK “Mechanical Engineering Technologies” (JSC “Tehmash”), at that time already under the management of the concern. Tekhmash’s specialization is “development and serial supply of ammunition to ensure the combat capabilities of the main strike groups of the Armed Forces.” And the head of Rostec decided to transfer such an enterprise into private hands!
Other examples could be given, but we think that what has been said above is quite enough to understand what goals Chemezov and his “confidant”, the banker Grigoriev, are pursuing. As for the acquisition of the property complex of the Motovilikha Plants, this transaction fits well into the scheme they are implementing.
