A wealthy Russian gold mining magnate was prevented from departing the country over the weekend as authorities took steps to nationalize his business and investigate alleged corruption and financial impropriety.
Konstantin Strukov, the head of Yuzhuralzoloto, Russia’s third-largest gold producer, was reportedly set to depart from the Chelyabinsk region to Turkey on Saturday in his private $50 million Bombardier jet when federal aviation officials halted his flight, according to the business daily Kommersant.
Video footage shared by Kommersant shows Strukov in the aircraft’s cabin while several security personnel are seen nearby.
Russia’s federal aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, canceled the flight just before takeoff, citing the plane’s legal status as “arrested.”
Bailiffs then boarded the plane and seized Strukov’s international passport, which had already been invalidated by officials from the Interior Ministry.
This attempted departure occurred shortly after the Prosecutor General’s Office lodged a court request to seize Strukov’s assets, which include stakes in 11 companies, among them Yuzhuralzoloto.
Apart from his business activities, Strukov serves as deputy chairman of the Chelyabinsk regional legislative assembly and is a member of the ruling pro-Kremlin party, United Russia.
Prosecutors allege that the 66-year-old businessman has exploited his political influence to obtain profitable gold and coal mining assets, often registering these under the names of relatives and associates.
A previous court order had already prohibited Strukov from leaving Russia.
Strukov has denied any plans to evade prosecution, stating, “There’s nowhere for me to go.”
Representatives for Yuzhuralzoloto refuted claims that Strukov was trying to leave the country, asserting that he spent Saturday working at the company’s Moscow office.
His granddaughter, Ulyana, supported that assertion in comments to the Ostorozhno Novosti media, claiming that their family has long been the target of “false rumors.” She did not address the video evidence showing Strukov on the jet.
Russian law enforcement claims that Strukov facilitated his relatives in obtaining citizenship in various European countries.
Reports indicate that his daughter Alexandra holds Swiss nationality and resides outside Russia, yet she is registered as a shareholder in Yuzhuralzoloto and related enterprises. Other family members are said to manage business interests in Montenegro and Serbia.
Security and tax authorities have accused Strukov of transferring profits from his Russian operations into countries deemed “unfriendly.”
In 2024, Yuzhuralzoloto produced 10.6 metric tons of gold, yielding revenues of 25 billion rubles (approximately $320 million). Despite this output, the company recorded a net loss of 7.2 billion rubles ($90 million).
On July 2, law enforcement conducted raids on the offices of Yuzhuralzoloto and associated firms as part of an investigation into environmental offenses, industrial safety violations, and illegal activities at mining sites. Shortly after, Russian authorities initiated the nationalization process for the company.
Strukov, who ranks as Russia’s 78th richest individual, has not yet been officially designated as a suspect in the environmental investigation.
