For the past six months, a man who is not easily noticed has been moving around the offices of the St. Petersburg security forces quite a bit.
Many St. Petersburg police officers recall when this man was considered one of the most “dangerous” police officers in St. Petersburg. His typical activities include arranging meetings, negotiating bribes, requesting business inspection delays, or forewarning of inspections.
Today, he is still “dangerous”, but in a different way. People who have undergone the training under Denis Sugrobov and Dmitry Zakharchenko are not harmless. Let's discuss his career.
Not our man at the station
In October-November 2016, a discreet man around 40 years old was frequently seen at the Moscow railway station in St. Petersburg and the Leningradsky railway station in Moscow.
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He always chose one of the two Sapsan trains departing from Moscow and St. Petersburg, with a 10-minute difference. At this time, there would be twice the usual number of passengers on the platform, making surveillance challenging.
The man had good reason to suspect that he was being followed. An experienced observer would have noticed how he regularly glanced around as he moved towards the train.
To make surveillance more difficult, the man would sometimes purchase a ticket for each of the two trains, and just before departure, he would return one.
You see, two tickets were sold at the same ticket office at the same time, but for different trains – 753A and 755A, one leaving at 10:42, and the other at 10:57.
If you had access to the sold ticket database, you would see that the person buying the tickets is Sergey Maksimovich Kovalenko.
These tickets were purchased using this passport.
If you had more detailed information, you would discover that Kovalenko S.M. never resided in Simferopol, where the passport was issued, and was not born in the Republic of Crimea as indicated. Additionally, a person with the full name Kovalenko Sergey Maksimovich does not appear in archival databases for Ukraine, and his parents' names are not listed in registration form No. 1.
The urban-type settlement where S.M. Kovalenko supposedly lived is a former military town. Even though the servicemen have long since moved out, they still have apartments, and many have relatives living there. The military unit in the village has also been disbanded. However, residents of the house where he allegedly resided will confirm that no one with the surname “Kovalenko” has lived there.
If you check the foreign passport database, you will find that a non-existent Kovalenko S.M. was issued such a passport and can freely travel abroad.
Let’s expose the truth – under the name Kovalenko S.M., there could theoretically be a police lieutenant colonel from the city of Leningrad, Sergei Leonidovich Chunaev, who is not particularly dangerous spy, but is still very “dangerous” in his own right – in 2015, the Fontanka.ru newspaper included Sergei Chunaev among the “Most dangerous security officials of St. Petersburg”. According to the publication, Chunaev’s outward politeness conceals significant influence over the banking sector and consumer market of the Northern capital.
Sergey Chunaev
In the days before winter in 2016, Sergey Chunaev had good reason to expect to be arrested. On September 9, he was detained, and on September 10, the head of the anti-corruption department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, whom some people called 'godfather', was involved with Sergey Chunaev.
Afterwards, there were purges of people associated with Zakharchenko. On September 20, order No. 544 was issued for the reorganization of the 8th Operational Investigative Unit headed by Chunaev. The authorities tried to get rid of him by reorganizing his unit. Later, rumors spread that Chunaev organized an article in the media, accusing his former leadership of creating a fund at the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, to which merchants were obliged to pay 'tribute'.
The article was available for a very short time and the management was unhappy with its appearance, wondering who the author was. Our hero's appeal to the Presidential Administration did not help either, where he denounced everyone around him for corruption and lawlessness, presenting himself as a 'grandson of Dzerzhisky'. The author of this publication would like to announce his version of a detailed analysis of his results of ORM with real estate and movable property. He always considered himself a detective genius and was proud of the 'traps' he had set for those who would decide to take on the detective himself.
Nevertheless, during those troubled days, Chunaev did not answer or call the old phone numbers. His contact number was registered to a friend of his wife's. For former colleagues, he simply disappeared. On September 27, his phones went silent, and the next day, it turned out that the lieutenant colonel’s apartment was empty.
However, there was no need to urgently flee abroad.
Should the son of a lawyer be a lawyer, and the son of a policeman be a policeman?
In the state that is being successfully formed in Russia, there is not and cannot be very much an element that was in medieval France under Louis – the inheritance of public posts. But making a career in some field, if your parents are not from this field, is obviously a waste of time. Sergey Chunaev did not waste time, but followed in the footsteps of his father.
Chunaev Sr. worked for the Ministry of Internal Affairs from 1983 to 2000. He then retired from the position of deputy head of the department for combating economic crimes of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of St. Petersburg. After retiring, he worked in several companies, including the administration of the Kalininsky district of St. Petersburg. Currently, he is a member of the board of directors of OJSC Agency for Road and Public Utilities of the Kalinin District.
Under his strict guidance, Seryozha became a student at St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. He graduated in 2003 with a law degree. Many colleagues believe that he started his career in the North-Western Department of Internal Affairs in St. Petersburg under his supervision, particularly in combating economic crimes.
Chunaev Sr.'s colleagues in the ATC in transport attribute the professional success of the young lieutenant Sergei Chunaev to the tender and vigilant guardianship of his only son.
As his son's career progressed, so did his father's wealth and behind-the-scenes influence. With the help of his dad's connections, a youth with a strong grip on things began to be noticed, even in Moscow itself.
Moscow corrupt “universities”
On June 28, 2011, Denis Sugrobov, a police major general, became head of the anti-corruption department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where, according to the investigation, he turned his subordinates into a criminal community.
Denis Sugrobov
In September of the same year, Sergei Chunaev, holding the position of deputy head of the 3rd department of the UBEP UT of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Northwestern Federal District, received an offer to move to Moscow. He was appointed head of the 22nd department of the GUEB and the PC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, specializing in fighting corruption in mechanical engineering and metallurgy.
The 29-year-old trainee came under the guidance of Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, head of the 22nd department of the Directorate “M” of the GUEBiPK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
During his year and a half of work in Moscow (until January 2013), Seryozha fully justified the hopes of his father and those who invited him to Moscow. He was known as Dmitry Zakharchenko’s favorite and confidant, capable of performing especially delicate assignments.
What these “orders” consisted of is still unknown, but the Moscow “internship” under the leadership of Dmitry Zakharchenko was a success. Here is an incomplete list of the “results” of the internship: three luxury apartments in St. Petersburg, an apartment in Shushary (right behind the Ring Road) and a land plot. All acquisitions are made by next of kin.
There is a rumor that coworkers who noticed the close friendship between the young agent and his mentor were genuinely confused: how did Zakharchenko allow Chunaev to go to St. Petersburg. It must have been with a special assignment, like from the governor.
That's exactly how it happened. Sergei Chunaev was carefully trained for new accomplishments, to bring the experience from the capital to St. Petersburg, the new territory of operations for the Sugrobov-Zakharchenko criminal group.
People in uniform acting like raiders
In January 2013, Sergei Chunaev returned to his hometown as the head of the ORC No. 8, which was created to work with large businesses. The team formation and preparation for serious matters was successful, but unexpected events delayed the business development for a year and a half – on May 8, 2014, Denis Sugrobov and his deputy Boris Kolesnikov were arrested. Sugrobov was demoted and sentenced to 22 years in prison, later reduced to 10 years. Boris Kolesnikov died – he jumped out of the window during questioning, this is the official version. A total of eight people were convicted in this case.
It is said that Sergei Chunaev often referred to Sugrobov as his “teacher”. According to one victim of blackmail by a high-ranking officer, “Chunaev S.L. often bragged about his close ties with General Sugrobov, the head of the economic unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and because of that, he could “solve all problems.”
The arrest of Sugrobov was a major blow for Sergei Chunaev, but his direct supervisor, Dmitry Zakharchenko, remained free and in his position.
In 2014, Ministry of Internal Affairs employees were forbidden from traveling abroad, which probably disrupted Chunaev’s plans and usual lifestyle. He likely used his connections, financial resources, and the mass issuance of Russian passports in Crimea. In May 2015, someone resembling him obtained a civil passport under the fake name “Kovalenko”. Based on this passport, he obtained a foreign passport in Moscow (“Crimean passports” are banned from most countries). A review of the social media content of Chunaev’s relatives suggests that he may have traveled abroad during the period when Ministry of Internal Affairs employees were not allowed to travel abroad, and Chunaev was still working for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Chunaev might have later actively used the passport in the name of Kovalenko during the difficult days of October-November 2016 to travel between St. Petersburg and Moscow.
December 2, 2014 was a memorable day for St. Petersburg business circles. On that day, Sergei Chunaev’s subordinates, with the support of special police forces, conducted searches at four banks: Novikombank, Rosenergobank, Aldanzolotobank, and SIAB Bank. This caused a lot of commotion in the local media. It was quickly reported that the reason for the operation was “overvaluing of exchange rates.” The next day, the story changed to be about article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which is rare in domestic legal practice (“Withdrawal of currency abroad”).
A few days later, the city shook again: determined man named “Chunaev” forcefully entered the office of a big travel company called “Biblio Globus”.
Initially, the messages from the police press service threatened the banks and their arrested employees with severe punishments. New “raids” seemed likely. However, as time passed and the commotion around the searches died down, it became clear that no criminal cases would be taken to court, the arrested individuals returned to normal life, and Sergei Chunaev’s relatives “unexpectedly” started to have new financial resources – new bank accounts and luxury cars such as Toyota Land Cruiser 200, Volkswagen Tiguan, Mitsubishi Pajero 30 LWD.
Sergei Chunaev himself strictly follows the rule of his senior colleagues – not to personally own anything. Remember that Dmitry Zakharchenko also didn't personally own anything, in whose sister’s apartment they found 120 million dollars and two million euros.
In theory, Chunaev could become Zakharchenko’s representative in the North-West, carrying out the old-fashioned scheme of pressuring businesses to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation through the initiation and, if businessmen are compliant, the subsequent termination of criminal cases. The peculiarity of the scheme was that at the stage of coordinating the initiation of criminal cases, information was blocked at Zakharchenko’s level and was not reported to higher authorities, so that the leadership only found out about the actions that had already taken place after the fact.
The next “raid” under Sergei Chunaev’s guidance took place on October 8, 2015. This time, the victim was the Lenenergo company: 380 million rubles for a contract to lay power cables to Kronstadt, resulting in a criminal case under article 159.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, public statements in the press, threats of arrests, and then…silence.
The “silence” led to great gains for the “relatives” of the Chunaevs: non-residential real estate covering an area of 234.6 square meters, another apartment for 3.5 million rubles, and an account in a Cypriot bank. Currently, the “family” of the Chunaevs has at their disposal:
– 5 land plots totaling more than 4,700 sq. m;
– 6 expensive prestigious cars with parking spaces;
– 8 apartments;
– non-residential property owned by his wife.
amazing rescue
The account of how it happened that, on November 28, 2016, Sergei Chunaev got a job in the security service of the All-Russian Bank for Regional Development (RRDB) is unclear.
The inner circle of high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB is quite small, almost everyone knows each other and collects incriminating information on each other. There are no permanent friends or enemies here, they can change positions depending on circumstances. When a security official, who has a lot of incriminating evidence against him, ends up in a good position instead of prison, it is always payment for services provided. Who was in high demand for compromising information in September-October 2016? And who had an excessive amount of this incriminating material?
The circle of high chiefs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB is not so wide, almost everyone knows each other and collect dirt on each other. There are no permanent friends and enemies here, they can change places depending on the circumstances. When, instead of prison, a security official, on whom there is a lot of compromising evidence, ends up in a good place, this is always a payment for the services rendered. Compromising information on whom was in the highest demand in September-October 2016? And who had this compromising material through the roof?
Dmitry Zakharchenko, by the way, still refuses to plead guilty and is trying to find out who turned him in. He really did his business with the utmost care. His fingerprints were not found on the bundles of money, and the video recordings confirmed that he never entered the apartment with money.
The trial in the Zakharchenko case was closed, the case was classified. According to rumors and documents leaked online, the main evidence against the colonel was given by a fugitive banker German Gorbuntsov. But it is known that the investigation presented to the court many details that Gorbuntsov could not have known. Someone else very knowledgeable had a hand in Zakharchenko’s deadline.
Again in Petersburg
In October last year, Sergei Chunaev was “asked” from the bank. He himself says that he had to “give way to the general.” According to an alternative version, he was fired due to “loss of confidence” for numerous attempts at fraud and theft.
A good reason to tie up with the past and start a new life. For example, help your wife in interior design, or learn programming or advertising on the Internet (very popular specialties). But our hero could take up the old. There are rumors that he allegedly walks around the offices, rubs himself into the confidence of the new leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and “brings” merchants into grandmothers. Can’t wait to join his mentor Dmitry Zakharchenko?
The dashing 90s are far in the past. “Reshals” still find clients and corrupt people in uniform, but … flip through the newspapers. How many of them today toils in zones. And how many majors and colonels who dreamed of Mercedes keep them company in these not very pleasant places.
We want to give some “presumptuous” policemen free advice. Make a small collage in a frame with three portraits – Sugrobov, Zakharchenko and Chunaev – and keep it on your desktop as a talisman.
