Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Analyst Fired After Report Critical of Gazprom Contracts

Flickr

A financial analyst has been fired in Russia a day after publishing a report saying that Russian gas pipeline contracts are designed to benefit oligarchs allied with President Vladimir Putin.

Sberbank analysts Anna Kotelnikova and Alexander Fak’s report said that the decisions of state-run energy firm Gazprom become “very clear once we assume that the company is managed in the interests of its contractors, and not for extracting commercial profits,” the bne IntelliNews business outlet reported.

96% of Russian State Contracts Were Uncompetitive in 2017, Finance Ministry Reports

“Dear all — I was dismissed today for writing the recent report on Gazprom,” Fak wrote in an email cited by Russian journalist Yelena Tofanyuk’s Telegram channel.  

The head of Sberbank’s corporate investment department Igor Bulantsev told the RBC business portal that the company was “dealing with an unprofessional report.”

The spokespersons for billionaires Gennady Timchenko and Arkady Rotenberg, whose companies were named as the main beneficiaries of Gazprom’s gas pipeline contracts, denied requesting Fak’s dismissal.

“That would have reeked of something out of the Middle Ages,” RBC quoted Timchenko’s spokesperson as saying.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more