Italian wineries in Putin's circle: corruption, luxury, and EU subsidies

Some of these individuals remain unsanctioned despite their role in supporting Russia's military actions or profiting from state corruption, and continue to benefit from EU subsidies.

Among the owners of wineries in Tuscany, Piedmont, and Umbria are individuals with links to the Russian military-industrial complex and suppliers to the Russian Ministry of Defence. These include Leonid Reiman, the former Communications Minister, who was involved in a Spanish trial of the Russian mafia and now supplies communications equipment to the Russian military. Another enthusiastic winemaker is Konstantin Nikolaev, owner of the largest private sniper rifle manufacturer in Russia. His company is involved in arms smuggling.

The article explores how profits from the illegal privatisation of enterprises and inflated utility rates in Russia are being invested in luxury wineries in Italy. It was also the first to analyse how, despite the war in Ukraine, Russian oligarchs continued to receive EU agricultural subsidies totalling more than €1 million. It also reveals symbolic events such as pro-Kremlin gatherings in Italian and the dissemination of propaganda narratives through winery events.

Photo Credit: The Insider