Since 2022, Russia-related risk has become one of the most complex compliance challenges facing international business. Sanctions regimes in the US, EU, UK and elsewhere have expanded repeatedly. Ownership of companies has shifted to relatives, managers and new holding structures in third countries. Goods subject to export controls have found new routes through intermediaries in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Turkey and the Gulf. For banks, traders, manufacturers and law firms, the question is no longer only whether a counterparty is Russian, but whether Russian interests sit behind it.
Risk Investigators provides compliance-focused investigations involving Russia. As an online venture of GREVESGROUP®, headquartered in Dubai with more than 30 years of group experience and around 1,000 cases a year, we combine Russian-language research, regional knowledge and a network covering Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey, the Gulf and more than 100 countries to help clients identify, understand and manage Russia-related exposure.
Our Compliance Commitment
Our Russia-related work is designed to support compliance with applicable sanctions and export control laws. We do not act for, on behalf of or for the benefit of designated persons or entities, and we do not accept instructions that would breach sanctions applicable to us or our clients. Every Russia-related instruction is reviewed before acceptance, and we may ask about the purpose and parties involved. Clients remain responsible for their own compliance and should take legal advice on their obligations.
Why Russia-Related Exposure Is Hard to Detect
- Ownership transfers to relatives, associates and managers that may leave control unchanged
- The 50 percent rule and control tests, which require analysis of aggregated ownership and effective control, not just names
- New intermediaries in third countries set up to trade with or on behalf of Russian businesses
- Transliteration issues, where Cyrillic names appear in many Latin spellings
- Rapidly changing designations and rules across multiple jurisdictions
Our Compliance-Focused Services
Russia Sanctions Due Diligence
Our Russia sanctions due diligence examines counterparties, customers, suppliers and intermediaries for direct or indirect links to designated persons and to Russian ownership or control. We research corporate registers in relevant jurisdictions, including Russian sources such as the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRUL), trade data and Russian-language media, and analyse aggregated ownership and control. Findings are documented for your compliance file.
Hidden Russian Ownership Checks
When a company in the UAE, Cyprus, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia or elsewhere may be controlled by Russian interests, our Russian beneficial owner checks trace shareholders, directors, powers of attorney, financing and historical ownership to identify who really controls it, including where ownership was transferred after sanctions were imposed.
Export Control Diversion Investigations
Manufacturers and distributors of dual-use, high-priority or sensitive goods use our export control diversion investigations to check whether products sold to third-country distributors are reaching Russia. We examine buyer profiles, onward customers, trade patterns and the availability of your products in the Russian market, supporting corrective action and disclosure decisions with your counsel.
Background Checks
Our background check services verify education and employment for candidates who studied or worked in Russia and are applying for roles elsewhere, with consent and through lawful channels, and check for sanctions exposure where roles are sensitive.
Asset Tracing Outside Russia
Creditors and law firms use our asset tracing to identify property, companies, vessels and other assets held outside Russia by Russian-linked debtors and defendants, including those held through relatives and third-country structures, to support lawful enforcement of judgments and awards.
Brand Protection and IP Investigations
Since 2022, parallel imports and new local brands have changed the Russian market. We help brand owners understand how their products reach Russia through third countries and investigate counterfeits in neighbouring markets, within the limits of applicable sanctions.
Claim Verification
Where lawful and compliant with applicable sanctions, we assist international insurers with verifying facts in claims involving Russia or Russian nationals abroad. Feasibility is assessed case by case.
Process Service
Russia is a party to the Hague Service Convention, but in practice requests from some countries have faced significant delays since 2022. We advise law firms on practical routes, including serving Russian-linked parties or their representatives in other jurisdictions where the issuing court allows.
Cities and Federal Subjects We Cover in Russia
Our investigators work across Russia, from the main commercial centres to secondary cities, ports and industrial zones. We regularly handle investigations, due diligence, background checks and process service in the following locations.
Major Cities
- Moscow
- Saint Petersburg
- Novosibirsk
- Yekaterinburg
- Kazan
- Nizhny Novgorod
- Krasnodar
- Rostov-on-Don
- Samara
- Vladivostok
Federal Subjects
- Moscow
- Moscow Oblast
- Saint Petersburg
- Leningrad Oblast
- Tatarstan
- Sverdlovsk Oblast
- Novosibirsk Oblast
- Krasnodar Krai
- Primorsky Krai
Work involving Russia is strictly compliance-focused. We review every instruction before accepting it and never act for designated persons or entities.
Need coverage in a location not listed here? We also handle enquiries in smaller towns and remote areas of Russia on request.
Third-Country Intermediaries
Much of today's Russia-related risk sits outside Russia. Newly formed trading companies in the UAE, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia may be legitimate, or may be fronts for Russian buyers of controlled goods or for sanctioned owners. Warning signs include sudden large orders, payment from unrelated parties, freight routes via third countries and directors with links to Russian companies. Headquartered in Dubai with investigators across these regions, we are well placed to verify intermediaries on the ground.
Ownership and Control Analysis
Sanctions compliance often turns on questions such as whether designated persons own 50 percent or more in aggregate, or whether they exercise control through other means. Answering these questions requires tracing layered holdings, identifying family and business relationships, reviewing powers of attorney and financing arrangements and following ownership changes over time. Our analysts produce clear ownership and control charts supported by sourced evidence.
Records and Research
We research Russian, Central Asian, Caucasian, Turkish, Cypriot and Gulf registers and media in the original languages, and combine documentary findings with discreet source enquiries outside Russia. Reports distinguish verified facts, intelligence and remaining uncertainties.
Typical Matters We Handle
The examples below are illustrative of the compliance work clients bring to us:
- A European bank investigates whether a Cyprus holding company is still controlled by a designated former owner after a share transfer to his relative
- An electronics manufacturer checks whether a Central Asian distributor's orders are being re-exported to Russia
- A Gulf trading company verifies a new counterparty whose directors were previously employed by Russian firms
- A law firm traces assets held in Europe and the UAE by a Russian-linked defendant to enforce an award
How We Work on Russia-Related Matters
Every instruction starts with a compliance review of the parties and purpose. We agree the scope, methods, timeline and fee in writing. Research is carried out in Russian and relevant regional languages, coordinated by your case manager in Dubai, and reported in English.
Why Choose Risk Investigators
Control-focused analysis
Ownership and control assessments that go beyond name screening.
Third-country coverage
Investigators in the Gulf, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Russian-language capability
Research and name matching in Cyrillic sources.
Compliance-first approach
Clear boundaries and review of every instruction.
Group experience
More than 30 years of investigation work through GREVESGROUP®.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work for sanctioned Russian persons or entities?
No. We do not act for, on behalf of or for the benefit of designated persons or entities, and we do not accept instructions that would breach applicable sanctions.
Can you identify hidden Russian ownership in a company?
Yes. We trace ownership, control, financing and relationships across jurisdictions, including transfers made after sanctions were imposed.
Can you check whether our products are reaching Russia?
Yes. Our export control diversion investigations examine distributors, onward buyers, trade patterns and market availability.
What is the 50 percent rule?
Under several sanctions regimes, entities owned 50 percent or more, individually or in aggregate, by designated persons are treated as subject to sanctions. Your legal advisers can confirm how the rules apply to you; we provide the ownership evidence.
Is Russia part of the Hague Service Convention?
Yes, but requests from some countries have faced significant delays since 2022. We advise on practical options.
Can you trace assets of Russian-linked debtors outside Russia?
Yes. We identify property, companies, vessels and other assets in third countries to support lawful enforcement.
Do you verify Russian education and employment history?
Yes, for hiring decisions, with consent and through lawful channels.
Who is responsible for sanctions compliance?
Each client remains responsible for its own compliance. Our findings support your decisions, and we recommend legal advice on your specific obligations.
Do you provide reports in English?
Yes. All reports are in English, with key Russian documents summarised or translated where needed.
Can you verify intermediaries in the UAE, Turkey or Central Asia?
Yes. Our investigators in these regions verify ownership, directors, premises, trading activity and links to Russian companies on the ground.