Firms Linked to Putin Classmate Win $1.5Bln in Moscow School Meal Contracts, Report Says

Sep. 23, 2026 Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency Four companies linked to a former university classmate of President Vladimir Putin won all 39 contracts to supply meals to Moscow schools from 2026 to 2028, the exiled news outlet Vyorstka reported Wednesday. The awards, worth a combined 126.7 billion rubles ($1.5 billion), show how a lucrative school catering business once held by companies owned by late Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has passed to firms with ties to Ilgam Ragimov, who studied law alongside Putin. The four winning companies were registered in March 2024, less than a year after Prigozhin’s mutiny and death in a plane crash. Vyorstka reported that their owners, Sergei Yefimchuk, Nikolai Kuznetsov, Dmitry Aliyev and Olga Rusishvili, had previously worked at Grandtitul, a company in which Ragimov is the largest shareholder. Verona Kapital won 12 contracts worth 38.2 billion rubles ($450.8 million), KDP won seven worth 29.1 billion rubles ($343.4 million), RSK won nine worth 34.8 billion rubles ($410.6 million) and ShYuZ won 11 worth 24.6 billion rubles ($290.3 million), according to Vyorstka. The four firms succeeded suppliers called Verona, Kombinat Doshkolnogo Pitaniya, Russotskapital and Shkolnik-Yuz, which had been owned by Prigozhin, the outlet reported. Ragimov studied with Putin at Leningrad State University, now St. Petersburg State University. Forbes estimated his fortune at $500 million in 2014, citing business interests that included Moscow’s Sadovod market, the Ukraina hotel and the Evropeisky and Panorama shopping centers. The late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has said that Ragimov and two other Putin classmates helped finance a lavish property near the Black Sea town of Gelendzhik that the group links to the Russian president. It said their company, Investment Solutions, spent 7 billion rubles ($82.6 million) on the project. This article was translated with the help of artificial intelligence and was reviewed by a Moscow Times editor before publication. Learn more about our newsroom's AI policy here. Read this article in Russian at The Moscow Times' Russian service. Read more about: Prigozhin , Business Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Mass Layoffs, Unpaid Wages Hit Coal Mines in Occupied Luhansk as Operator Nears Bankruptcy Non-payment of wages has become a recurring problem for miners in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. 3 Min read Russian Part-Time, Idle Workforce Hits Highest Since 2020 Pandemic Peak The surge points to a widening use of reduced working hours as companies seek to cut costs without resorting to mass layoffs. 2 Min read Tinkov-Founded Fintech Plata Hits $5Bln Valuation After $405M Funding Round The deal makes Plata the most valuable private financial technology company in Latin America. 2 Min read U.S. Investor Calvey Detained in Moscow on Suspicion of Fraud Michael Calvey is the founder and a senior partner at the Baring Vostok equity funds group.