From Dmitry Medvedev’s "wallet" to defendant: how Igor Yusufov is losing Kremlin patronage and hastily scrubbing the internet to escape Western sanctions

From Dmitry Medvedev’s "wallet" to defendant: how Igor Yusufov is losing Kremlin patronage and hastily scrubbing the internet to escape Western sanctions

The media has discovered a case file on the website of the Khamovnichesky Court indicating that the Federal Tax Service Inspectorate No. 4 for Moscow is seeking to recover taxes from former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov, who has also been referred to as Dmitry Medvedev’s "wallet."

Sources say that a "rift" has occurred between the former partners.

Alongside this case file, there are literally countless others — Igor Yusufov and his son Vitaly are attempting in this way to remove from the Internet all information about his ties with Russian authorities and the like. This is understandable. Until now, the ex-minister has only been subject to personal sanctions from Canada and Ukraine.

In the US and Europe, there are no issues with him; father and son can freely visit and reside in both places. At the same time, in recent years, Yusufov has been withdrawing from the founders of all entities that appear on the Ukrainian sanctions lists (see video).

The media claims that in his lawsuits, Yusufov is partly correct in that he is no longer Dmitry Medvedev’s "wallet." According to the sources’ version, a "black cat ran between them" several years ago, and this patron can be "written off" from the list of the ex-minister’s protectors.