More than 20 relatives of the Russian president Vladimir Putin have secured key roles across government institutions and state-linked corporations, according to a new investigation.
The report, which details how President Putin’s former wife and previous partners have profited from their association with him, suggests that nepotism in modern Russia may have reached levels unseen since the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, who ruled until 1917.
The independent investigative outlet Proekt – which has been banned in Russia and operates from abroad – said that its findings revealed a pattern of concentrated family influence extending into nearly every sector of the Russian economy, from energy and mining to finance and defence.
In its analysis of 1,329 people who hold key positions, Proekt found that 76 per cent (1,012 individuals) have relatives employed in the public sector.
“This is a huge proportion – three out of every four Russian leaders either inherited [their position] from other officials or set up their descendants’ lives on the government’s dime,” the investigation read.
Among the most prominent figures highlighted is Anna Tsivilyova, the daughter of Putin’s late cousin Yevgeny Putin. Ms Tsivilyova was appointed deputy defence minister in 2024.
Her husband, Sergei Tsivilyov, the former governor of the coal-rich Kemerovo region, became energy minister a month earlier.
Ukrainian military intelligence has alleged that Ms Tsivilyova’s appointment may also be related to intelligence, claiming that she reports directly to Putin on loyalty and corruption issues.
Her relatives have also gained substantial wealth and influence. Ms Tsivilyova’s 27-year-old son from a previous marriage, Dmitry Loginov, manages several firms linked to Kolmar, the coal-mining company controlled by his mother’s family.
Her brother, Mikhail Putin, serves as a senior executive at Gazprom, the state-controlled energy giant. His son, 28-year-old Denis Putin, is listed as a shareholder in the Sheremetyevo business complex near Moscow, where many tenants are state companies, according to the report.
Members of Putin’s extended family have also secured lucrative roles, the report found. Two of the president’s cousins, Igor Putin and Lyubov Kruglova, both hold senior posts in state-affiliated organisations. Ms Kruglova’s son, Viktor Khmarin, is the chief executive of RusHydro, one of Russia’s largest electricity producers.
The report draws parallels between Putin’s network and that of the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya since 2007 and faces repeated allegations of human rights abuses, is said to have appointed 96 relatives to official or corporate posts.
His 17-year-old son, Adam Kadyrov, holds at least seven titles, including head of the region’s security council, a role he assumed in April.
Meanwhile, Putin’s two adult daughters, Maria Vorontsova, an endocrinologist, and Katerina Tikhonova, a technology executive, addressed last year’s St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a major gathering of the Russian political and business elite.
In a rare interview, Ms Vorontsova said that “human life has supreme value” in Russia, though the president has never publicly acknowledged either woman as his daughter.
Proekt also reported that Putin is believed to have two young sons with former Olympic rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, and a daughter with Svetlana Krivonogikh, a former cleaner who became a millionaire through ownership of a luxury ski resort near St Petersburg and a stake in a bank closely linked to the Kremlin.
While nepotism has long been a feature of Russian governance, Proekt’s findings suggest that under Putin, family ties have become a defining pillar of the country’s political system.
