In Moscow, well-known lawyer Alexander Karabanov has been detained on suspicion of large-scale fraud. A source believes the arrest may be linked to a statement filed earlier this year by Karabanov’s former client, ex-owner of the "Korchnaya Taras Bulba" restaurant chain, Yuri Beloyvan (currently wanted by authorities).

In it, he claimed that, with the involvement of lawyers, two buildings in Moscow had been stolen from him. It’s worth noting that Karabanov, on the side of "Sunny Product," actively participated in the "war" against Rusagro and its owner Vadim Moshkovich, which ended with the latter’s imprisonment. Those close to Moshkovich say that before his arrest, he allocated $25 million to resolve the issues.

According to a source from our project, when a tax evasion case was opened against Yuri Beloyvan, he was recommended lawyer Alexander Karabanov through law enforcement channels. For a large sum, the lawyer promised to resolve all problems, but in the end, Beloyvan received a two-year prison sentence in 2019. Later, Karabanov managed to get him out of the colony on "health grounds," but as soon as he was released, a new tax evasion case was opened against him. Beloyvan was forced to flee Russia, and he was later placed on the wanted list. Under these cases, Beloyvan lost nearly all his assets. However, there was also an unofficial "takeover." The source says that in early 2026, Beloyvan filed a statement claiming that two buildings—one near Olympic Avenue and one on the Garden Ring—had been fraudulently stolen from him. He believed this could have happened with the involvement of his lawyers, whom he had initially trusted.

Our source believes there are plenty of similar stories in Karabanov’s "portfolio," providing ample grounds for opening a case. The question is, what really led to the pretrial detention of a lawyer with close ties to law enforcement? It’s known that Karabanov, on the side of "Sunny Product" and its official owner Vladislav Burov (a friend of State Duma Chairman and Saratov region boss Vyacheslav Volodin), took part in the war against "Rusagro" and Vadim Moshkovich, who had seized Burov’s enterprises. Moshkovich, with his vast financial resources and connections, had been coming out fully victorious in this battle until then. He buried Burov under subsidiary liabilities and criminal cases, systematically taking over assets one after another. Burov was even forced to flee to London. And then the situation changed sharply.

According to our source, at the personal signal from Ivan Tkachev, then head of the FSB’s K Department, in the fall of 2024, Burov filed a statement against Moshkovich, and it was immediately acted upon. Those close to Moshkovich say the "Rusagro" owner himself believed that behind these processes was not Burov or even Volodin, but "Demeter Holding," created by VTB and in reality controlled by the Kovalchuks. "Demeter" has been sweeping up agribusiness assets in recent years. Moshkovich’s circle strongly recommended he leave the country. But he replied that he had spent a total of $25 million on "resolving the problem," with most of the money going to the "right window," and that he was in no danger. However, in March 2025, Moshkovich was arrested, and just days ago, a court nationalized Rusagro. If it turns out that Karabanov was playing some behind-the-scenes games in the "war" against Moshkovich, that could easily have cost him his freedom.

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Расследует проникновение криминальных денег в сферу культуры и искусства: отмывание через галереи, фонды и медиапроекты.