Mikhail Ipatov, a Russian citizen, is actively opening IT schools abroad. During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, three new ones have appeared in Poland, Czech Republic and Switzerland. Their names are consonant with russia's largest programming school "Algorithmika" and may be used by russian authorities to improve technologies used in weaponizing against Ukraine, the UNN writes.
Mikhail Ipatov, a Russian citizen, opened three new programming schools Algorithmics in Europe, particularly in Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, after a large-scale invasion. All of them are actually branches of the largest Russian IT school Algorithmics .
Russian Algorithmika, like Ipatov himself, is closely linked to one of russian President vladimir Putin's closest friends, billionaire Vladimir Potanin, according to media reports. Potanin has come under sanctions both in Ukraine and abroad for his friendship with the Russian dictator.
The billionaire invested 10 million dollars in Algorithmika, which gave it the opportunity to branch the net abroad. However, it is no secret that because of sanctions restrictions, Russians cannot openly operate, particularly in European countries. They have to change names and find ways around the sanctions restrictions. It is possible that because of this, the branches of the Russian school were named Algorithmics and were registered by Ipatov, who has been living in Geneva for a long time and has probably already received residency status, as new foreign companies. Although the founders did not bother with the design and use the same one for all schools - similar to the Russian one.
The Russian aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated that wars in this century have reached a new level - a technological one. On the frontline, hostilities are being conducted, including with the use of drones. Both Ukraine and russia are constantly working to improve them, and therefore, according to experts, they are already using homing technologies and changing frequencies in fpv drones, which they are also trying to improve.
Experts do not rule out that in the pursuit of technology, as well as the people who create it, the Russian authorities are using all possibilities, including companies operating abroad.
"In fact, it is not only a question of fpv drones or artificial intelligence. We know that russia is now using various directions: obtaining equipment from different countries, including china, obtaining element base to bypass sanctions and using various scientists, primarily in russia, to improve certain samples. Because now the main financial expenditures of Russia are aimed at the defense sector, where the dynamics of growth is taking place. The use of scientific schools abroad to solve certain technological or technical problems - I think that Russia can resort to this and may even resort to it," - said military expert Sergei Zgurets in a comment UNN.
In the situation with Algorithmika, the connection with Potanin, who has considerable influence in Russia, plays a significant role. It is likely that with the hands of Ipatov, Putin's confidant is solving problems with obtaining technology to improve Russian weapons, which are then used against the Ukrainians.
Military expert Sergei Zgurets believes that all possible measures should be taken to make it impossible for the rf to operate, including through companies operating abroad.
"If you know the name of some company working abroad, it means that it is known to the intelligence services of European countries as well, and I think that any such mention suggests that measures should be taken that make it impossible to work for rf, which in general can be transformed either through the sanctions regime or through specific cases against certain people who are attached to work through rf," Zgurets noted.
However, fpv are not the only ones. As it turned out, Ipatov works in one of Ukraine's strategic sectors. The Russian has a company that does business at the Olympex grain terminal, which plays a strategic role for the economy during the war, because it is one of the important links in the operation of the grain corridor, and thus in filling the Ukrainian budget.
So, in order to hide traces of his influence, Ipatov, with the help of a Swiss company of the same name, created a company in Ukraine called Omega Terminal-Ukraine. It provides him with constant access to Olympex's operational data.
It should be noted here that Odessa businessmen Serhiy Groza and Vladimir Naumenko, who managed the grain terminal, probably helped him in this. After all, Ipatov was in constant contact with the former financial director of the GNT Group agroholding Dusan Denich, which is also confirmed by Swiss registers. In addition, Ipatov runs the Swiss company of Groza and Naumenko - GNT Europe SA , which may also indicate his close ties with the Odessa businessmen.
It is possible that it was Ipatov who facilitated Groza and Naumenko's close cooperation with the under-sanctioned smuggler Vadim Alperin and a number of companiesthat were subject to economic restrictions because of their cooperation with russia.
Why Russians close to Putin's inner circle continue to work unhindered in Ukraine, even in strategic industries, is an open question...