Grain Trader Testifies in Volgograd Blogger Extortion Trial

In Volgograd, the trial continued in the case of blogger and public figure Alexey Ulyanov, accused of extorting money from one of the largest grain traders in the Lower Volga region and one of the wealthiest people in Volgograd Oblast — Rashid Karsakov, owner of LLC Trading House Zerno Zavolzhya. At today«s hearing, the businessman, considered the victim, was questioned. The public figure himself has insisted that he and his family were repeatedly threatened, that he did not extort money from anyone, and that the prosecution witness who testified against him, political analyst Mikhail Serenko, is deliberately slandering him.

According to the investigation, Alexey Ulyanov spent several years receiving money from a major grain trader, Rashid Karsakov, owner of LLC Trading House Zerno Zavolzhya, in exchange for not publishing damaging information about him. Moreover, according to the Investigative Committee, some episodes of extortion were committed by a group of people with journalist and political analyst Mikhail Serenko, who was previously taken into custody. In one episode, Alexey Ulyanov allegedly received 6 million rubles ($65,000 at current rates). He is also accused of extorting money from Anatoly Meshcheryakov, founder of several management companies in Volgograd and a former employee of one of the departments of the Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for Volgograd Oblast. Alexey Ulyanov, who has lost nearly one hundred kilograms (220 lb) at Penal Colony No. 15, categorically denies guilt.

“It was often said that I backed the wrong person”

The previous hearing was held on 5 August. At that time, Alexey Ulyanov spent about 50 minutes discussing publications from 2020 onward, starting with an appeal by now-imprisoned retired Interior Ministry Colonel Igor Daylidenko and ending with the day of his detention. Regarding some of the charges of extorting money from Mr. Karsakov, the public figure denied all accusations brought by the prosecutor«s office.

“Around May 2020, Igor Daylidenko approached me and asked me to write and produce publications to voice his public position on a number of issues. Including the situation with the corporate dispute that arose between him and Rashid Karsakov. In his arguments, he spoke of Karsakov«s stable connections in the Investigative Committee, FSB, MVD, and prosecutor»s office. He spoke of fear for his own family, that criminal cases could be fabricated against him. He said that sooner or later law enforcement agencies could falsify criminal prosecutions against me as well”;

“I did not know Rashid Karsakov before. I received information about the trading house Zerno Zavolzhya from Igor Daylidenko, who paid for my work for each publication”;

“In October 2020, a note appeared on my car reading ‘You«re done for’ (author»s spelling preserved). This note caused me fear. I went to the police. In October–November, I can«t say exactly, people called me and relayed Rashid Karsakov»s words about a meeting with him. They explained that a car would pick me up and after the meeting would take me back to where they had picked me up. The car that arrived took me to a horse stable in the village of Bobry. He introduced himself as Karsakov and spoke negatively about Igor Daylidenko. I made no threats, did not extort money, and did not receive any. He said that Daylidenko had left the note”;

“Between 2020 and 2024, in the interests of Igor Daylidenko, I wrote around 90 publications”;

“I believe articles about me were written in various outlets and media on Karsakov«s orders. Among them, articles appeared on the Telegram channel Ostrov Svobody (administered by Mikhail Serenko, accused of a whole range of crimes. — Ed. note), where I was ridiculed. I take it adequately. <…> I did not ask him to speak on my behalf about anything or to take money from anyone. Serenko often said to me that Daylidenko, whose views I supported, was a scoundrel and that I had backed the wrong person.”

Today, the major entrepreneur and owner of the Zerno Zavolzhya trading house, Rashid Karsakov, appeared at the hearing on the victims« side, along with his representative, Alexander Medvedev. The second victim, Anatoly Meshcheryakov, a former employee of one of the departments of the Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for Volgograd Oblast, did not attend the court session.

Communication with Mr. Ulyanov, who has visibly lost weight, was also conducted via video conference, and his interests were represented by lawyer Svyatoslav Shugaley. The only change in the composition compared to the previous hearing concerned the state prosecution: the court introduced a new prosecutor.

In response to the prosecutor«s questions, Rashid Karsakov confirmed that he had a business conflict with the now-imprisoned retired Interior Ministry Colonel Igor Daylidenko.

As Rashid Karsakov explained during questioning, the publications (around 90 of which Ulyanov acknowledged during his testimony — Ed. note) discredited both him and his family and company. After some time, according to the victim, he turned to a “comrade,” Mikhail Lemyakin, and decided to pay. The head of TD Zerno Zavolzhya assigned this matter to his head of security service, Andrey Bulgakov.

“Our relationship had already ended. Then in 2025, law enforcement approached us”

According to Rashid Karsakov, he agreed to monthly payments to the blogger and political analyst. These lasted from 2020 to 2023, until they reached the agreed sum. During this time, publications also appeared, but to a lesser extent they were damaging. Once the 6 million had been paid, the articles stopped appearing.

Most of the questions to the victim during the hearing were asked by Ulyanov«s lawyer, Svyatoslav Shugaley. Asked by the ex-investigator why no report had been filed with law enforcement earlier, the entrepreneur explained that he suspected the defendants had connections with security forces. The money was transferred to Mikhail Serenko»s sole proprietorship from the account of LLC Rubicon, a Lipetsk company belonging to the Zerno Zavolzhya group. Its director and founder is Mikhail Lemyakin.

According to Rashid Karsakov, after he returned the 6 million to Mikhail Lemyakin, law enforcement contacted them in 2025.

“Our relationship had already ended. Then in 2025, law enforcement approached us and asked a number of questions on this topic,” Rashid Karsakov said. “For us it wasn«t secret, since we were forced to pay officially. As they said, they (Ulyanov and Serenko) were extorting money from someone else too. And as I understand it, we became the second episode.”

At the end of the court session, Alexey Ulyanov also asked several questions of one of the largest and most influential grain traders in the Lower Volga region. The defendant recalled the threatening note on his car and again stated that he was being slandered.

— What confirms your words about the meeting (at the stable)? — Alexey Ulyanov asks.

— You yourself are not renouncing your words. (My words) were later confirmed to Bulgakov at a meeting by Mikhail Serenko, that you would receive 6 million between the two of you, but you agreed to installments of 200,000 a month, — Rashid Karsakov replies.

— What makes you think that you didn«t plant the note ‘You»re done for’?

— Though I may not look Slavic, Russian is my native language, and I speak it well.

<…>

— And why are you slandering me?

— Alexey, I am not slandering you. You didn«t drag me out for no reason to a place where, forgive me, pigs, cows, and horses walk around without phones or anything of the sort. They talked to me and asked me for this money. Well, it happened, it happened. Then your colleague came out and named the figures outright, and we were forced to pay.