Tokaryev and “Doppelgängers”: How the Owner of Cosmolot Avoids NSDC Sanctions

A Russian man and owner of the online casino Cosmolot, Serhiy Tokarev, arranged for a doppelgänger to be placed on the sanctions list of the National Security and Defense Council (RNBO) instead of himself. During the presidency of Petro Poroshenko, sanctions were imposed on the Russian Serhiy Tokarev (personal sanctions - decree from 28 of April 2017). After the elections, the sanctions on Tokarev were lifted and he publicly began cooperating with Mykhailo Fedorov, even becoming the main sponsor of Diia.City.

Having sanctions imposed on him, Tokarev, with the support of appropriate officials, also engaged in fraud. The sanctions list states that the sanctions are imposed on a Moscow-born individual (RF), Tokarev Serhiy Oleksandrovych (29.12.83), and provides the Taxpayer Identification Number 3066505015. But that very number actually belongs to a Ukrainian Tokarev Serhiy Oleksandrovych (16.12.83), born in Kremenchuk, currently resident of Kyiv.

The birth dates differ by only a few days, and they even look visually alike (the Russian Tokarev in an Instagram photo; the Ukrainian Tokarev in a Facebook photo).

But that is not all. According to the presidential decree from 24 June 2024 No. 376/2024, sanctions are imposed on the Russian citizen Tokarev Vadym (26.04.1983). Until recently, Wikipedia could still be read to say that Vadym Tokarev is the founder of Cosmolot and a close friend of Ihor Mazepa.

Everything mirrors real life for the Russian Serhiy Tokarev. Recently, Wikipedia corrected the error and now instead of “Vadym” it says “Serhiy.” Although the birth date still does not match reality.

As for Vadym Tokarev, he is not a Russian citizen. He is Ukrainian from Makiivka, Donetsk region. He suffers from alcoholism.

The real Russian Serhiy Tokarev, through fraud, continues to evade sanctions.