Camilla Jessen
Dmitry Artyakov is under investigation for money laundering.
While average Russians face economic hardship, the son of a top Rostec official flaunts how he bypassed sanctions and smuggled piles of undeclared cash.
A Spanish Summer Gone Wrong
Dmitry Artyakov, son of Vladimir Artyakov, first deputy director of Russia’s state arms conglomerate Rostec, is now at the center of a money laundering investigation in Spain.
Arrested in July 2025 at his luxury villa in S’Agaró, a high-end resort town on the Costa Brava, Artyakov is accused of smuggling cash, using sanctioned loopholes, and laundering millions through real estate and luxury goods.
A Systematic Scheme
According to The Moscow Times, Artyakov admitted under interrogation that he traveled to Spain each summer with an entourage of up to 10 people, each carrying just under the legal limit for undeclared cash.
“Every Summer, No Problems”
“Each can bring up to $10,600 without declaring it,” Artyakov told Spanish authorities. “We come every year. I can bring up to $106,000. The police watch all this, and there are no problems.”
Except, there were problems.
During a search of his villa, police uncovered over $212,000 in cash, double what he claimed to have brought.
Cash for Caviar
After international sanctions in 2022 cut off his bank cards, Artyakov said he switched to an all-cash lifestyle.
He claimed to spend over $1,200 a day on food.
But that didn’t stop him from buying luxury items.
Used Belarus Card for Lexus
He told investigators that he purchased a Lexus for $131,000 using a Belarusian bank card, facilitated by Maria Baer, the sister of a senior Rostec executive.
Belarus, a close Russian ally, has become a common detour for those looking to skirt Western financial restrictions.
A $15M House and Offshore Loans
Artyakov traced much of his fortune back to his grandmother, Anna Kurepina, who reportedly purchased a $15 million property in 2008 with help from Delco Networks, an offshore firm.
She also owned a Rolls-Royce, a Bentley, and held $13 million in Novikombank, a bank under Russian state control.
Ties to Russia’s Financial Elite
Artyakov, meanwhile, bought his $11 million S’Agaró villa in 2014 using a loan from Digimarket Holdings, a Cyprus-based company.
He claims he was advised on the deal by Quinta Capital Partners, linked to ex-banker Ruben Vardanyan, a key figure in Russia’s financial elite.
“I Have My Own Big Business”
In his defense, Artyakov distanced himself from his father’s role at Rostec, the very organization tied to Russia’s defense and military exports.
“I know my father works in Rostec, but I don’t know what he does there,” he told prosecutors. “I have my own big business.”
That business includes serving as CEO of Modum-Trans, a major Russian freight company, and holding major stakes in Samaraenergo (14%) and Avtoinvest (15%), both tied to Kamaz, a military truck manufacturer partially owned by Rostec.
Released on $1.1 Million Bail
Though released on $1.1 million bail, Artyakov has been barred from leaving Spain while the investigation unfolds.
Authorities are now examining financial records, real estate transactions, and connections between Artyakov’s family and Rostec leadership, including Sergey Chemezov, Rostec’s powerful CEO.
His villa is notably close to a property owned by Chemezov’s stepdaughter, Anastasia Ignatova, raising further questions about how tightly the Rostec elite is clustered—both financially and geographically.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation
