Mikhailova became a member of Gazprom’s Board of Directors, the company’s highest governing body, in January 2012; in March 2024, she took over management of the Gorskaya Territory Development Project, an initiative to turn a resort area near St. Petersburg into a year-round seaside tourist destination.

Burmistrova is first vice-president of Gazprombank, responsible for international gas trade and export operations; she was previously deputy chair of the Gazprom Management Committee and general director of Gazprom Export.

Aleksei Jankovich, deputy general director and board member at Gazprom Neft, also received Serbian citizenship based on a decision in April 2024 by then First Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, now Serbia’s interior minister.

Jankovich was sanctioned by Britain in May 2023.

In sanctioning Mikhailova, Burmistrova and Jankovich, British authorities cited their benefit from or support for the Russian government and involvement “in a sector of strategic significance” to the government.

None of the three replied to requests for comment.

Sanctioned businessmen

Chechen Ruslan Alisultanov received Serbian citizenship in March 2024 based on a decision by then Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, now speaker of Serbia’s parliament.

A former deputy mayor of the Chechen capital Grozny and former deputy agriculture ministry of Chechnya, Alisultanov was sanctioned by Canada on June 13 this year under the Special Economic Measures Act, which allows the Canadian government to impose sanctions in cases of serious threats to international peace and security, systematic human rights violations, or significant corruption.

After the French food and drinks giant Danone left the Russian market in July 2023, the company sold its Russian business the following year to a firm that, since December 2024, is owned by Alisultanov. Since then, he has publicly positioned himself as a promoter of domestic food production. Alisultanov did not respond to a request for comment.

Most recently, on September 4, PM Macut granted Serbian citizenship to the children of Russian businessman Musa Bazayev, also of Chechen descent.

Bazayev’s children are not subject to any international sanctions, but Bazayev himself is.

As chairman and president of the board at mining firm Russian Platinum LLC, Bazayev has been under EU, British and Swiss sanctions since early 2022 due to his business activities in sectors that directly fund the Russian state budget.