Alisher Usmanov, a Russian oligarch, and friend of Putin, who was blacklisted by the EU last year on February 28, was the ultimate beneficiary owner of VP and the ESforce holding. This is why VP was forbidden to perform under their tag with sponsors on game uniforms, after which teams in CS:GO and other disciplines became called Outsiders.

The club formally left the ESforce holding, moved to Yerevan, and was sold to Armenian businessman Aram Karamanukyan to bypass this restriction, at least in the Dota 2 discipline. Later, Aram ceased to be the CEO, and former director of ESforce Nikolay Petrosyan became him. Such a reshuffle raises doubts that the club has no ties to the ongoing war in Ukraine sponsored by the Russian oligarchy.

Related: CEO of NAVI: "I don't understand how we could buy a player from a Russian club, even if they are hiding under Armenian flags"

In March 2022, Cherepennikov bought the IT group "IKS Holding," founded by him for Usmanov. Its specialization is monitoring citizens, surveillance systems, and other objects. The company actively cooperates with the state institutions of the Russian Federation.

Source: US Treasury