Vadim Rosenstein’s campaign for the presidency of the International Chess Federation is unfolding under growing scrutiny of his continuing commercial links to Russia.
Although Rosenstein has publicly sought to distance himself from Russian business, the corporate and customs records cited in the source material suggest that companies connected to him have remained active in the country and, in some cases, significantly increased their turnover since 2022.
One of the key companies is VR Rus LLC.
The Russian business is controlled through Rosenstein’s Germany-based WR Group Holding GmbH, which owns 95.94% of the company. Rosenstein personally holds the remaining 4.06%.
Financial statements cited in the investigation show that VR Rus expanded sharply in 2025, with total sales rising approximately 2.4 times.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, revenue at the Russian subsidiary has reportedly increased several-fold.
Customs records help illustrate the company’s ongoing activity.
According to ImportGenius declarations, VR Rus imported about 900 pairs of shoes from Italy into Russia in February 2025. The shipment was valued at approximately $560,000.
The footwear was produced under the brand of Anastasia Zadorina.
In May 2025, Zadorina publicly announced the launch of her own shoe line. Russian media reported that production had been organized at an Italian factory that also manufactures footwear for leading international brands.
The transaction drew additional attention because of Zadorina’s family background.
Her father, Mikhail Shekin, is a colonel general in Russia’s Federal Security Service and has long been associated with procurement inside the agency.
Shekin also serves as president of the Dynamo volleyball club, part of a sports organization historically connected to the Soviet and Russian security services.
In 2022, The Insider reported that Shekin controlled property worth more than RUB 2 billion, equivalent to roughly $30 million at the average exchange rate that year.
Zadorina herself is closely linked to Dynamo through ZASPORT, a sportswear company she co-owns with the organization.
Beginning in 2017, ZASPORT supplied uniforms to athletes representing Russia at the Olympic Games.
According to Proekt, that contract was terminated ahead of schedule in 2025.
Zadorina has also previously demonstrated public support for Kremlin policy.
Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the first wave of Western sanctions, she launched a campaign titled “Fashionable Response — No to Sanctions! Exchange Your T-shirt for a Patriotic One.”
Her commercial activity later expanded to Crimea itself.
Several days after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Zadorina registered Vinnaya Istoriya LLC, or “Wine Story,” on the peninsula.
The company reportedly planned to develop vineyards there.
Information concerning its ownership is now concealed through a closed-end unit investment fund.
In 2025, Vinnaya Istoriya reported losses of RUB 27.5 million, or around $316,000.
Zadorina’s business network also connects her to representatives of other influential Russian families.
According to Proekt, she previously held shares in Baikal Corporation together with Olga Zolotova, the daughter-in-law of Russian National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov.
Zadorina is also connected to Costa, a company holding hunting grounds in Yaroslavl Region.
The other owner identified in the original material is Andrey Kostin, chairman of the management board of VTB Bank.
Another relationship leads to Rostec.
In 2019, Zadorina reportedly received significant income from Russian Electronics, a holding company within the state-owned corporation.
Rostec is one of the major participants in Russia’s industrial and defense sector and is headed by Sergey Chemezov, a long-time associate of Vladimir Putin.
The source also points to historical links between the families involved.
Mikhail Shekin, Sergey Chemezov and Vladimir Putin were all reportedly present in East Germany in the late Soviet period through their connections to the KGB.
Zadorina’s ties to Putin’s circle became even closer in 2024, when she married Kirill Shamalov.
Shamalov was previously married to Katerina Tikhonova, identified in investigative reporting as Vladimir Putin’s daughter.
Important Stories reported in 2020 that Shamalov’s marriage was followed by a rapid rise in his wealth and business influence.
At the age of 26, he became vice president of SIBUR, one of Russia’s largest petrochemical companies.
In September 2014, Shamalov acquired a 17% stake in SIBUR from billionaire Gennady Timchenko after Timchenko had been sanctioned by the United States in connection with Crimea.
Four years later, Shamalov himself was added to the U.S. sanctions list.
Since 2022, he has also faced sanctions from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Canada, Australia and Japan.
The SIBUR connection intersects directly with Rosenstein’s own business history.
WR Logistics GmbH and WR Certification GmbH, German companies controlled by Rosenstein, supplied industrial products to Tomskneftekhim, a SIBUR subsidiary.
Kirill Shamalov’s father, Nikolai Shamalov, is also a co-owner of Bank Rossiya, an institution repeatedly described in media reporting as closely associated with Vladimir Putin.
Another part of the Rosenstein family business has also grown considerably since 2022.
2R Integra LLC belongs to Vadim Rosenstein’s cousin, Mikhail Rosenstein.
According to the source material, the company’s revenue has increased dozens of times since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
ImportGenius data cited in the investigation indicate that 2R Integra imported almost $800,000 worth of sanctioned goods into Russia.
The company reportedly also published information on its own website describing ways to bypass export restrictions.
Those materials were later removed following media reports.
At the same time, Rosenstein has reportedly been reducing references to Russia across his public corporate profile.
According to the original investigation, mentions of Russia have disappeared from WR Group’s website and from websites belonging to several related companies.
Another episode involved Glotech GmbH.
Rosenstein had previously announced cooperation with the German company in an X post related to support for German chess players.
After reports appeared about possible links between Glotech and supplies of restricted telecommunications equipment to Russia, Rosenstein reportedly deleted the post.
These developments come at a sensitive moment.
Rosenstein is seeking the leadership of FIDE while European governments are increasing pressure on Moscow over alleged sabotage and hybrid activity.
Germany has promised additional sanctions following an alleged attempt to attack a Ukrainian An-124 aircraft at Leipzig airport.
Berlin accused Russia of organizing the operation.
The European Union and NATO supported Germany’s assessment, while two suspects identified in the case were reportedly citizens of Russia and Belarus.
Another serious incident took place on September 1, when improvised explosive devices were used against energy infrastructure in Germany’s Rhine region.
Five units at RWE lignite-fired power plants were temporarily taken offline.
Their combined capacity totaled approximately 4.2 GW.
The Telegraph has described such incidents as part of a broader expansion of Russian hybrid activity in Europe, including sabotage at industrial and defense facilities and the alleged recruitment of local criminal groups.
European governments are now considering another major sanctions package.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said that additional restrictions are already being prepared.
According to the original material, around 800 individuals and 800 organizations linked to Russia or involved in supporting its economy could be added to sanctions lists.
If all EU member states approve the proposal, it could become one of the largest single expansions of Russia-related sanctions introduced by the bloc.
Approval was expected in mid-October.
For Rosenstein, the issue is therefore not only his historical connection to Russia.
The records cited in the investigation suggest that companies linked to him continued to generate revenue in the Russian market after 2022 and, in some cases, substantially expanded their operations.
That creates a clear contrast with the image Rosenstein is seeking to present as he campaigns for leadership of international chess.
As the FIDE presidential election approaches, questions surrounding his Russian business network, related corporate transactions and connections to figures within Russia’s political and security establishment are likely to remain part of the discussion.
