Moscow Court Places Businessman Ilya Traber in Pre-Trial Detention in Contract Murder Case

June 18, 2026 Ilya Traber. @moscowcourts / Telegram A Moscow judge has ordered the pre-trial detention of Ilya Traber, a St. Petersburg businessman with alleged ties to President Vladimir Putin, as he awaits trial for the 2020 murder of businessman and politician Alexander Petrov. The Moscow court system initially published a statement confirming Traber was being placed in pre-trial detention, but it was later deleted without explanation. However, law enforcement sources told the state-run news agency TASS that Moscow’s Basmanny District Court had charged Traber, 75, with organized murder and arms trafficking, ordering him to be held in custody for two months. The court handed down the same detention order to Traber’s alleged accomplice, two-time Russian boxing champion Alisultan Nadirbegov. Both men are accused of involvement in the October 24, 2020, killing of Petrov. Russia’s FSB security service arrested Traber on Monday, according to the St. Petersburg news outlet Fontanka. Two others have been arrested in connection with the murder investigation, TASS reported, though it did not disclose their identities. Fontanka reported Wednesday that Traber’s longtime business partner, Vladimir Danilenko, had also been arrested. Beyond the homicide case, law enforcement sources told TASS that Traber potentially faces additional charges, as investigators look into separate allegations of fraud and money laundering. Traber first drew public scrutiny for his ties to the Russian leader during Putin’s early political career. In 2011, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Traber met with Putin during the 1990s, when Putin worked in the St. Petersburg mayor’s office, to discuss an oil terminal project. Years later, Peskov said Putin knew Traber but could not confirm if the two were on friendly terms. The exiled investigative outlet Agentstvo has described Traber as “the only living crime boss Putin admitted knowing.” Traber was previously among more than a dozen Russian nationals suspected of organized crime ties by Spanish authorities. He was ultimately acquitted in 2018 following a decade-long investigation. Read more about: Court cases 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 Amur Region Court Jails Gold Mine Employees Over Deadly Collapse Thirteen miners were buried alive at the Pioneer Mine in the Amur region in March 2024 after a torrent of water and mud led to the collapse of the underground... 1 Min read Mother of Chechen Dissidents Jailed Additional 4 Years Over Alleged Prison Assault Zarmea Musaeva had been approaching the end of a nearly five-year prison sentence for alleged fraud and assaulting a police officer. 1 Min read Moscow Court Orders Pre-Trial Detention of Economics Professor Accused of Treason Vadim Saltykovsky had also reportedly served as chief Kremlin adviser on relations with post-Soviet states in the early 2000s. 1 Min read Moscow Court Orders Pre-Trial Detention of Political Analyst Ekaterina Schulmann in Absentia Schulmann, a prominent commentator on parliamentary politics, left Russia for Germany in early 2022 shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 1 Min read