Russian prosecutors seek state takeover of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, citing ‘foreign control’
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office is seeking to transfer full ownership of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport to the state, arguing that its private owners — Dmitry Kamenshchik and Valery Kogan — hold foreign citizenships and have violated Russian law by controlling a strategically significant enterprise, Vedomosti and Kommersant reported, citing sources familiar with the case.
Prosecutors claim the two businessmen used DME Holding LLC, the company managing Domodedovo, to circumvent restrictions on foreign ownership. Under Russian law, foreign investors cannot engage in strategic industries tied to national defense and security without prior government approval.
A Moscow court has frozen 100 percent of DME Holding’s shares at the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office, barring any transactions involving them. However, the court has also ordered the owners to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the airport and its infrastructure.
Prosecutors contend that Kamenshchik, who holds Turkish and U.A.E. citizenships, and Kogan, who holds Israeli citizenship, misrepresented their ownership structure to regulators. In 2024, they reportedly sought approval from Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to transfer control of strategic assets to DME Holding, while allegedly concealing Kogan’s Israeli citizenship and his role as the airport’s ultimate controlling party.
As a result, officials claim, the government commission overseeing foreign investments and FAS were “misled” into approving the transactions.
“By establishing foreign control over these strategic companies, Kamenshchik and Kogan are pursuing the aggressive policies of Western states aimed at inflicting strategic defeat on the Russian Federation by damaging its economy,” the Prosecutor General’s Office alleged. “To this end, they have sabotaged efforts to develop and modernize the airport’s infrastructure, while state-allocated funds for these purposes have been spent without oversight, leading to embezzlement.”
The lawsuit, filed on January 28, names 32 defendants, including Domodedovo’s operating companies and the two businessmen.
In a statement to RBC, Domodedovo’s press service said the airport “strictly complies with all legal requirements.” The company added that it would formulate its position after reviewing the lawsuit in detail.
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