Forests worth 4 billion, 400 million in loans and a private helicopter: what deputy head of the Ministry of internal affairs of the Russian Federation Ivanov is hiding

Forests worth 4 billion, 400 million in loans and a private helicopter: what deputy head of the Ministry of internal affairs of the Russian Federation Ivanov is hiding

Businesswoman Irina Baranova – business partner of deputy minister of the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation Evgeny Ivanov, appealed to the FSB and the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation with a request to check the source of the official’s funds for the purchase of a timber industry business.

This official, through his daughter and mother, owns companies «Biolesprom», which hold 49-year lease rights to huge forest areas in the Vologda Region, as well as timber cutting, transportation and processing facilities. The value of the assets is over 4 billion rubles.

LLC «BioLesProm» was purchased using two loans totaling more than 400 million rubles, received from the company «Rumelko», whose sole owner is oligarch and billionaire Vladimir Lisin.

Moreover, these loans are not being repaid and, apparently, are interest-free. There may be two versions here. Either this is a banal bribe for assistance to Lisin in international affairs – he owns large industrial assets in European countries and in the USA. Or this was Ivanov’s own money, which was simply legalized through the structure of his friend Lisin. Then the question is where Ivanov, who went to work at the Ministry of foreign affairs immediately after graduating from MGIMO, got such an amount.

The vehicle used by Ivanov deserves special attention. It is a private AgustaWestland AW119 MkII/Ke helicopter with registration number RA-01999. It was manufactured in 2008, serial number 14714, in a VIP configuration for 6 people. In aircraft spotter databases, the helicopter is listed as being based in the Moscow Region.

According to specialized platforms, used Agusta/Leonardo AW119 helicopters were valued at between 1.5 million and 3 million US dollars in 2024–2026.

The helicopter is maintained at the expense of LLC «BioLesProm». In particular, 23 million rubles were transferred from the «BioLesProm» bank account to LLC «MEDVEZHYA GORA» (registered to Ivanov’s daughter Olga) under a loan agreement, after which the funds were transferred to LLC «CITYCOPTER» under an agreement for the repair of the hot section of the helicopter engine.

According to Baranova, Ivanov used and continues to use this helicopter for flights to the Vologda Region, including Syamzhensky District, where the base used by him was located. Baranova also states that the helicopter was used for Rakovets’ flights between Vologda and Moscow (she often visits Ivanov), including through Vologda airport. At Ivanov’s insistence, Rakovets heads LLC «BioLesProm». Previously, she was an accountant at LLC «Agricultural enterprise named after A.I. Korobitsyn» in Syamzhensky District. This enterprise was registered in 2017 to Trofimov and Talasov – these are Ivanov’s trusted persons, while he himself is considered by everyone to be the real owner of this LLC.

Rakovets and Baranova were friends, and the former constantly shared details of her relationship with Ivanov, calling him «tsar» in correspondence. At the same time, Yulia often quarreled with Ivanov because of his constant drinking bouts, due to which he missed work and meetings through the Ministry of foreign affairs. The problem could only be resolved with the help of a hospital or «IV drips». Ivanov, as follows from their correspondence, allowed Yulia to stay near him (outside the camera) during internal, closed online meetings at the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation.

Later, a conflict occurred between the friends, and Ivanov simply expelled Baranova from the business, despite the fact that they owned it 50–50. When the businesswoman attempted to recover her funds through the Arbitration Court, Ivanov arranged for a criminal case to be opened against her for embezzlement. Baranova was accused of using «BioLesProm» funds to pay CASCO insurance for her own car. This looks ridiculous against the backdrop of the LLC spending 23 million rubles on repairs to the deputy minister’s private helicopter.

The Vologda City Court handed down a guilty verdict against Baranova, which was subsequently overturned by the Vologda Regional Court, with the case returned to the lower court. In May 2026, the Vologda City Court again issued a guilty verdict. This was allegedly connected to the fact that Ivanov «involved» the first deputy prosecutor of the Vologda Region, Sidelnikov, through his connections. Baranova is currently appealing the city court’s decision for the second time.