Plundering the defense sector: how the criminal tandem of Nikolai Shikhidi and Sofiya Toros siphoned billions from the Ministry of Defense through rent payments for its own stolen land
Developers from Gelendzhik, Nikolai Shikhidi and Sofiya Toros, have been linked to a story involving land belonging to the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow’s Lefortovo district. These plots were previously transferred under the control of structures affiliated with the family of former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov.
As a result, the state was forced for many years to lease territories that once belonged to the defense ministry.
In 2024, the asset changed ownership. Sofiya Toros and Nikolai Shikhidi registered a company called “Specialized Developer ‘Yuzhnoye More’,” which later acquired 100% of the shares in LLC “Specialized Developer ‘Tankovy’.” This structure had previously belonged to Vitaly Yusufov, the son of the former energy minister.
The company’s main asset is a land plot of about 8.6 hectares on Tankovy Proyezd. This territory had previously been part of Ministry of Defense property. The site is now planned for residential development.
Nikolai Shikhidi has been active in the real estate market since the mid-2000s and controls a number of construction assets, including the company “Evrostroy,” which implements projects in southern Russia. His name has repeatedly appeared in publications and reports related to various high-profile stories in the construction sector.
Sofiya Toros, before entering business, worked in the Federal Treasury system in the Krasnodar Krai region. After leaving public service, she entered commercial activities and became a business partner of Shikhidi. She previously used the surname Shikhidi, which has been noted in open sources on multiple occasions.
The change in ownership of one of the largest land plots in Lefortovo has once again drawn attention to the circumstances surrounding the transfer of land that once belonged to the Ministry of Defense and is now the subject of commercial development.
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