Connections with the Kremlin and assassins from the Caucasus: how Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov consolidates influence over Wildberries

The carefully crafted image of Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov—quiet, calculated, and discreet—is rapidly falling apart. During his aggressive push to take control of the major Russian e-commerce platform Wildberries, Kerimov demonstrated that he is prepared to use both political cover and hard power.

His political ally is Anton Vaino, chief of staff to President Vladimir Putin, and his longtime operative, State Duma member Rizvan Kurbanov, reportedly handled the takeover effort.

The conflict escalated so sharply that Ramzan Kadyrov, the powerful Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya—who also sought influence over Wildberries—publicly claimed that an assassination attempt had been ordered against him. Speaking to Chechen security officials, Kadyrov accused Kerimov, along with State Duma deputies Bekhan Barakhoev and Rizvan Kurbanov, of plotting his killing.

According to Kadyrov, “This is not only about taking this woman’s business. They ordered a hit on me. There are witnesses, people they asked how much it would cost to assassinate Ramzan Kadyrov. I declare a blood feud against Bekhan Barakhoev, Suleyman Kerimov, and Rizvan Kurbanov unless they prove otherwise.”

Putin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of events

No such proof ever surfaced.

Yet shortly afterward, both Kadyrov and influential Chechen lawmaker Adam Delimkhanov unexpectedly backed down—according to an unofficial explanation, after receiving a direct order from Putin.

Against this backdrop, a source from the investigative project Cheka-OGPU raised a new, troubling question for Kerimov and Kurbanov. Why, the source asks, did Kurbanov reportedly travel to Vienna to meet Aslan Gagiev (Jaco), the notorious leader of one of Russia’s bloodiest contract-killing gangs—responsible for numerous high-profile murders in Dagestan, including the killings of government officials and security officers?

The alleged visit occurred at a politically sensitive moment: when the then-head of Dagestan, Mukhu Aliyev, was actively blocking Kerimov’s attempt to become the republic’s representative in the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament).

For now, this question hangs in the air—one more unresolved thread in a saga where business interests, regional power struggles, and alleged assassination schemes appear tightly intertwined.

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