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“No Problems”: Russian Defense Mogul’s Son Brags About Dodging Sanctions, Smuggling $212K for Lexus in Spain
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Dmitry Artyakov, son of Vladimir Artyakov, first deputy director of Russia’s state-owned Rostec , is under investigation for money laundering following his arrest in Girona in July 2025. The case focuses on his use of large cash transactions to bypass sanctions, funding luxury purchases, including villas in the exclusive town of S’Agaró on the Costa Brava.
According to The Moscow Times on September 17, Artyakov explained during his interrogation that he had been visiting Spain each summer, bringing in up to $106,000 annually without declaring it.
“I arrive every summer with 8–10 people [children and subordinates], and each can bring up to $10,600 without declaring it,” he told the Spanish prosecutor. “Since we come every year, I can bring up to $106,000. The police watch all this, and there are no problems. I don’t need to declare anything.”
However, during a police search of his villa, over $212,000 in cash was found. Artyakov admitted that after 2022, when his bank cards were blocked due to sanctions, he switched to using cash, spending up to $1,272 a day on food.
Artyakov also revealed that he used a Belarusian bank card to purchase a Lexus in Spain for $131,000, explaining that the payment was processed by Maria Baer, the sister of a senior Rostec executive.
Much of Artyakov’s assets appear to have come from his wealthy grandmother, Anna Kurepina, who bought a $15 million house in 2008 with a loan from an offshore company, Delco Networks. She also acquired luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley, and held over $13 million in Novikombank in Russia.
In 2014, Artyakov purchased his villa in S’Agaró for $11 million, financed with a loan from Digimarket Holdings, a Cyprus-based company. He claimed that Quinta Capital Partners, a family office linked to banker Ruben Vardanyan, advised him on the deal.
Despite the complex transactions, Artyakov assured the prosecutor that he could manage his wealth, claiming, “I have a large income in Russia. I can easily pay off the loan.” He further explained that his role as CEO of Modum-Trans, a key Russian freight company, provided him with stable income.
Artyakov’s business dealings also include a 14% stake in Samaraenergo, purchased in 2017, and a 15% stake in Avtoinvest, a major shareholder in Kamaz, both part of Rostec. Despite his wealth, Artyakov reportedly distanced himself from Rostec, claiming, “I know my father works in Rostec, but I don’t know what he does there. I have my own big business.”
After his arrest, a Spanish court released Artyakov on a $1.1 million bail, with the condition that he remain in Spain. Authorities are investigating documents related to his family’s connections within Rostec, including ties to Sergey Chemezov, head of the company. Artyakov’s villa in S’Agaró is located near a property owned by Chemezov’s stepdaughter, Anastasia Ignatova.
The investigation continues, with both Spanish and international authorities likely to focus on the financial connections within Rostec, a corporation heavily linked to the Russian government.
Earlier, it was reported that Brussels is drawing up plans to channel frozen Russian assets into Ukraine through a new system of “reparation loans,” worth as much as $180 billion.
