In the heart of Kiev, at the Premier Palace Hotel, a new casino is being prepared. But this project is not just a business - but figures closely related to Russian special services. According to Telegraf, one of the main defendants is Bulgaria's citizen Georgi Papazki, who is associated with influential Russian structures.
The papasky has close ties with the Bulgarian businessman Vasyl Bozhkov, known for his criminal reputation and staying in the US sanction lists. Bozhkov was hiding in the United Arab Emirates for several years, and, according to Bulgarian journalists, it was the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Narishkin that intervened to save him from extradition to his homeland.
It is worth noting that the Premier Palace Hotel itself, where the casino is planned, is owned by Russian oligarchs-Alexander Babakov and Yevgeny Voevodin. Both are known for their ties with the Kremlin and are already under the sanctions of the event for financing the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
The idea to open a gambling establishment in such a place raises more questions. Especially - in the conditions of war and struggle of Ukraine with Russian influence in all areas. According to official rhetoric, the gambling industry should bring to the budget, and in practice it can become a new channel of money laundering and legalization of the influence of persons from the Russian environment.
The actual promotion of this project in the center of the capital is not only business but also security risk. And, as practice shows, such schemes are often masked by investments, although they actually have a completely different goal.
