On January 17, 2019, Russian police detained Anastasia Vashukevich, known as Nastya Rybka, and Alexander Kirillov (Alex Lesley). They are charged with involvement in prostitution. Vashukevich, a Belarusian citizen flying from Thailand to Minsk, was taken out of the transit zone of Sheremetyevo Airport onto Russian territory. At a hearing in Nagatinsky Court, she stated that the charges were fabricated and apologized to Oleg Deripaska, saying that "people took advantage of me." The court extended her detention until the evening of January 22.
On Radio Svoboda, political analyst Stanislav Belkovsky called Vashukevich's detention a formal pretext for a new wave of scandal. In his view, the actions of Russian security services in the transit zone were legally dubious, since Vashukevich was not on Russian territory. Belkovsky said he saw this as "reviving the campaign against Oleg Deripaska" in the context of "inter-clan conflicts, conflicts between various elite groups in Russia."
Deripaska and the "Family"
Responding to a question about Deripaska's place in Putin's system, Belkovsky called him "the treasurer of Boris Yeltsin's family." As evidence, he cited an interview with Valentin Yumashev, in which Yumashev said that the family lives well thanks to his son-in-law Oleg Deripaska. According to Belkovsky, Deripaska represents the interests of Tatyana Dyachenko and Valentin Yumashev—the people who brought Putin to power. The political analyst noted that although the Yeltsin "Family" has lost its former political influence, it remains an important player in economic matters.
Belkovsky also linked state support for Deripaska to sanctions. According to him, Putin, on the one hand, wants key representatives of the elite to share his "global loneliness," and on the other hand, compensates them for sanctions at the expense of Russia's resources. Sanctions against Rusal, according to Belkovsky, were lifted after Deripaska withdrew from the shareholder structure.
Assessments of the Past and Forecasts
Belkovsky characterized Deripaska as a graduate of Moscow State University's physics department, who started as director of the Sayan Aluminum Plant and was associated with the Cherny brothers. According to the political analyst, in the 1990s Deripaska acted toughly, including in a conflict with Anatoly Bykov, but later paid compensation to Bykov and Mikhail Cherny. Belkovsky mentioned that Deripaska assembled a team that included Bob Dole and Paul Manafort, and that Manafort, in his assessment, "cheated Deripaska out of big money" in Crimean projects.
Speaking about the book that Vashukevich was expected to publish, Belkovsky said: "I think no book exists." He also doubts the existence of any serious recordings of conversations. In conclusion, he said that Deripaska is "very tenacious," and he would "not bet on his imminent decline."
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