Moscow Court Orders Nationalization of Domodedovo Airport Amid Foreign Control Allegations

A Moscow court has decided to nationalize Domodedovo International Airport amid allegations of foreign ownership, as reported by the business newspaper Kommersant on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office initiated legal action against Domodedovo and its co-owners after examining the airport’s privatization records, according to previous reports.

In February, a court granted temporary control over critical services at Domodedovo to Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, effectively signifying a state takeover of the country’s third-busiest airport.

On Tuesday, the Moscow Court of Arbitration mandated that the ownership of DME Holding—a conglomerate comprising 25 companies valued at over 1 trillion rubles (approximately $12.7 billion)—be transferred to the Russian government.

Dmitry Kamenshchik, a Russian native reportedly holding Turkish and UAE passports, along with Valery Kogan, an Israeli citizen originally from Moscow, were named as the ultimate beneficial owners of DME Holding.

Media reports indicate that Kamenshchik and Kogan are accused of diverting 18 billion rubles (around $228 million) of Domodedovo’s profits abroad between 2021 and 2023. Russian legislation prohibits foreign involvement in «strategic» sectors without prior government consent.

Kommersant noted that the court’s ruling was to be executed «immediately,» without specifying whether an appeal was possible.

As of now, Domodedovo’s press service has not made any statements regarding the situation.

Over the years, the airport has been subjected to multiple investigations by Russian law enforcement agencies.

By spring 2024, the Russian government had nationalized approximately 1 trillion rubles worth of “strategic assets” since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years prior.