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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
German businessman Vadim Rosenstein, who had aspired to become president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), found himself at the center of a scandal for continuing business activity in Russia. Despite public statements about severing business ties with the aggressor country, companies associated with the entrepreneur and his family continued to operate in the Russian market and expanded their turnover.
This is stated in a UNIAN investigation, which analyzed the financial statements of Russian companies and their corporate connections.
Russian business with billion-dollar turnovers
One of the key companies in this story is Moscow LLC “VR Rus.” According to Russian registries, Rosenstein directly controls it and through the German structure WR Group Holding GmbH.
The financial indicators of the enterprise indicate a substantial growth of the business. If in 2023 year its revenue was 113 million rubles, in the 2025-th it already reached 1,6 billion rubles. Over the last three years, the company paid more than 400 million rubles in taxes to the Russian budget.
As journalists found out, the main portion of VR Rus’s income did not come from logistics services, but from the sale of goods. Of the 1,6 billion rubles of revenue in the 2025 year, more than 1,4 billion was from product sales.
Rosenstein previously stated that after the start of the full-scale invasion he stopped doing business with Russia, although he formally remained the owner of the company. However, the company’s financial statements indicate continued activity.
Another company — owned by a relative
The investigation also mentions LLC “2R Integra,” owned by Rosenstein’s second cousin Mikhail Rosenstein.
After the start of the full-scale war, the company’s revenues sharply increased. If in 2022 year its revenue was 52 million rubles, by the results of 2025-th it had already 2,1 billion rubles. During this period the company transferred to the Russian budget 551 million rubles in taxes.
According to UNIAN, the company specializes in supplying industrial equipment and electronics. Its website previously advertised services for organizing shipments to Russia to circumvent anti-Russian sanctions.
In particular, it referred to the supply of power cables from the Indian manufacturer Polycab. Such goods can be used in industry, including in the production of products with military purpose.
Statements about breaking with Russia and actual financial indicators
Rosenstein presented himself as a candidate with a principled stance toward Russia. In comments to Deutsche Welle, he said he ceased cooperating with the Russian market after 2022 year.
At the same time, data from Russian reporting show that the companies associated with him not only maintained presence in the country but significantly increased their revenues. This became a basis for reputational questions about the candidate on the eve of the FIDE leadership elections.
How did the FIDE president elections end?
The voting took place on 26 September 2026 year in Samarkand. For the position of president of the International Chess Federation, Timur Turlov from Kazakhstan, Vadim Rosenstein, and German entrepreneur Jan-Henrik Buttner competed.
In the first round, Turlov received 96 votes, Rosenstein — 76, and Buttner — 20. In the second round, Turlov won with 110 votes against 85 for Rosenstein.
Thus, despite participating in the final round of the elections, Rosenstein did not head FIDE. However, questions about his business ties with Russia remain a subject of journalists’ attention.
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Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Мільярдні обороти в рф: як Розенштейн зберігав бізнес-зв’язки з росією". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: NARDEP 24.
