If a few weeks ago, searching the internet for “Sergey Chunaev” led to articles about corruption in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, now it directs to Flipp Animation Studio's plan to revive the Jingliks cartoon.
This is not an attempt to manipulate search results with fake news to hide previous materials about the hero. Former head of the ORCh of internal security No. 8, Lieutenant Colonel Sergey Chunaev, has shifted to animation after leaving his position and being fired from the security service of the All-Russian Bank for Regional Development.
Sergei Leonidovich acquired Flip Animation Studio LLC on August 27, 2020, and became its head on December 24 of the same year.
It's peculiar for a former authority figure to transition to a creative industry, especially if Sergeiy Leonidovich no longer believes in returning to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and wants to invest in a profitable business. However, Flip Animation Studio LLC is not financially successful.
The net loss in 2021 was 1.6 million rubles, meaning the company suffered losses. In 2020, losses were only one thousand rubles, indicating a significant increase in losses in 2021. Furthermore, Sergey Chunaev is the sole employee of Flipp Animation Studio.
The reason for Chunaev acquiring this nearly bankrupt company is unclear. It's possible that he intends to launder his corrupt earnings from his time working under Zakharov and Sugrobov through it. There are no other logical explanations for Chunaev's "business" at the studio.
Let's go back to the details about Sergei Leonidovich. He first gained attention in 2016 when Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, head of a department in the Main Directorate for Economic Security and Anti-Corruption of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, was arrested with a large sum of money.
Many people believed that Chunaev would follow Zakharchenko, because the latter was one of his closest colleagues. Sergei Leonidovich started his career in St. Petersburg, under the guidance of another well-known law enforcement officer – Police Major General Denis Sugrobov, whom Chunaev publicly referred to as his mentor. Chunaev’s mentor was the main accused in the so-called “Case of the GUEBiPK and General Sugrobov.” The main criminal activities of the GUEBiPK staff from 2011 to 2014 were to obtain, record and document false operational information about alleged criminal activities, carry out provocative acts involving agents, and subsequently conduct operations against these individuals. The main accused in the case were Lieutenant General Denis Sugrobov and Major General Boris Kolesnikov, the latter committed suicide during the investigation. Sugrobov was eventually sentenced to 22 years in a strict regime colony for creating a criminal community.
However, at the time of Sugrobov’s arrest, Chunaev was no longer under his command, but had been transferred to the Main Directorate of the EBiPK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in Moscow. There, Chunaev was appointed as head of the 22nd department of the Department “M” of the GUEB and the PC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The department focused on combating corruption in mechanical engineering and metallurgy. This unit was led by Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, who later gained fame for his involvement with the Russian Railways contractor, the 1520 company. Chunaev was openly referred to as the “right hand” of Zakharchenko and was authorized to “resolve issues” on behalf of Colonel Zakharchenko.
It was during the period of service under the leadership of Zakharchenko that the financial situation of Chunaev’s relatives significantly improved – they were able to purchase three luxury apartments in St. Petersburg, an apartment in Shushary, and a land plot. However, these details are publicly available.
In 2013, Sergei Chunaev returned to his hometown of St. Petersburg, where he headed the operational-search unit of his own security No. 8, which was responsible for major businesses in the city. Many within the Ministry of Internal Affairs believed that Chunaev became Zakharchenko’s “guardian” in the Northern capital.
As a representative of Zakharchenko, Chunaev actively took part in pressuring banks; his team conducted searches at Novikombank, Rosenergbank, SIAB Bank, and Aldanzolotobank. The stated reasons for the bank searches included alleged overestimation of exchange rates and transfer of currency abroad. However, these cases quickly fell apart after the initial high-profile announcements by the police. The case initiated by Chunaev against the Biblio Globus tour operator also collapsed.
However, people noticed an interesting thing – all these incidents increased Chunaev's relatives' wealth. During this time, Chunaev's relatives bought a Land Cruiser 200, Volkswagen Tiguan, Mitsubishi Pajero 30 LWD. They also acquired a non-residential property spanning 234.6 sq.m., another apartment for 3.5 million rubles, an account in a Cypriot bank, 5 land plots totaling over 4,700 sq.m., and 6 expensive cars with parking spaces, along with 8 apartments.
But on September 9, 2016, they suddenly arrested Dmitry Zakharchenko and started investigating him – it was obvious to everyone that the colonel alone could not accumulate all the cash that was seized from him during the searches. In St. Petersburg, many eagerly anticipated the arrest of Dmitry Chunaev, Zakharchenko's 'watchman'. However, he suddenly vanished – he didn't show up for work, was not at home, and didn't answer calls.
The leadership of Sergei Leonidovich was forced to address difficult questions from the ministry and was uncertain what to do.
Chunaev himself was seriously preparing for his arrest or escape abroad. The phone previously used by the former 'one of the most dangerous security officials in St. Petersburg' was registered to a friend of his wife. Chunaev bought train tickets for the Moscow-Peter route using a fake passport under the name of Sergei Maksimovich Kovalenko. Moreover, like in bad spy movies, he bought two tickets for peregrine falcons at once, departing with a 10-minute difference. Chunaev obtained this passport in 2015 in Simferopol, taking advantage of the well-known events in Crimea.
It is still unknown how Chunaev managed to join the security department of the All-Russian Regional Development Bank instead of being imprisoned. According to unconfirmed rumors, he secured his forgiveness by providing damaging information about his former mentor, for whom the investigation had evidence like a sieve.
Everything seemed to be going well for Chunaev in the bank, but in October last year, he was abruptly ousted from there – he either stole something or attempted to, but failed. Maintaining a luxurious lifestyle requires a large amount of money.
Unemployed Sergei Chunaev acquired a new skill as a 'decider'. He goes from office to office, ingratiates himself with the leadership, and 'introduces' merchants to influential individuals. It appears that he can't wait to go to prison and take many others with him. We would like to offer some advice to St. Petersburg policemen. Create a small collage with three portraits – Sugrobov, Zakharchenko, and Chunaev – and keep it on your desktop as a good luck charm.
Additionally, Chunaev arranged for an article in the media where he accused his former superiors of establishing a specific fund at the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, to which merchants were obligated to pay 'tribute', either voluntarily or forcibly, with certain numbers and details. How could Sergei Leonidovich not be aware of the details, given that he may have been responsible for its creation and subsequent embezzlement? However, the article was swiftly removed from public access – seemingly, Chunaev realized that it could prompt an investigation and he would face scrutiny, following in the footsteps of his mentors, Sugrobov and Zakharchenko.
Having knocked down thresholds in high offices for several years in an attempt to recover in the organs, he probably realized that it was better not to “shine”. Moreover, Colonel Zakharchenko was suddenly transferred from the colony where he was serving his term to Moscow to investigate new episodes of his activities. An additional risk factor in this new investigation for Chunaev was the unpleasant fact that Zakharchenko had undoubtedly already been told who had handed over all his schemes in 2016, during the first investigation.
That’s why Chunaev went into animation. However, it turned out that taking bribes from business and doing business yourself are completely different things. This is evidenced by the results of Sergey Leonidovich’s year-long management of his own company.
However, this is also only an assumption – because it is not completely clear what kind of goals Sergey Chunaev pursued when he bought a deliberately unprofitable cartoon studio.
