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Andrey Yakunin

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Andrey Yakunin
Born
Andrey Vladimirovich Yakunin

1975 (age 50–51)
Russia
CitizenshipDual citizen of Russia and Britain (since 2015)[1]
EducationSt. Petersburg State University
OccupationBusinessman
EmployerVIY Management
Children2
Relatives

Andrey Vladimirovich Yakunin (Russian: Андрей Владимирович Якунин) (born 1975) is a Russian-British businessman. He is the eldest son of Vladimir Yakunin, the former head of Russian Railways. Despite[3] his father's links to Putin, Andrey has publicly expressed his "strong opposition"[4] to Russia's 2022 invasion and occupation of Ukraine multiple times.[5][6] Andrey received his British citizenship in 2015, after moving to the UK in 2007.

Early life and Education

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Andrey Yakunin is the eldest son of Vladimir and has one brother, Viktor Yakunin[7]. Yakunin's family moved to New York, NY in 1985.[8] There, his father worked at the Soviet Mission and the United Nations that he combined with his activities as a Soviet Intelligence officer.[8] After returning to Russia with his family in 1991,[9] Yakunin studied Mathematical Methods in Economics at the St. Petersburg State University, graduating in 1997.[10] He went on to earn his PhD in credit and finance from the same university in 2001, and he also taught at St. Petersburg State University.[10] Yakunin co-founded the St. Petersburg State University Alumni Association in 2014 and served as its president until 2020.[10][11] Yakunin also holds a joint MBA from London Business School and Columbia University.[10][12]

Career

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Yakunin co-founded VIY Management, later VIYM, a private equity and real estate investment company, in 2006 with British-Israeli investor Yair Ziv.[13] The firm invested in real estate, hospitality, and consumer businesses, including hotel developments in Russia, the agro-industrial group Agro-Alliance, and the Russian chocolatier French Kiss.[14][15] In 2015, Forbes Russia reported that VIYM planned to divest its stake in Agro-Alliance.[16]

From 2013 to 2018, Yakunin was chairman of the National Alternative Investment Management Association in Russia. In March 2022, amid expanding sanctions after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported that Yakunin said he had never worked in Russia's public sector, had never received special benefits from the Russian government, and had never supported President Vladimir Putin.[17] He later told bne IntelliNews that he opposed the invasion and had moved away from investment positions in Russia.[18]

VIYM's Russian hospitality investments included the Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace in St Petersburg and the Nikolsky Ryady development. RBC reported that the Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace changed ownership in 2024, and that Nikolsky Ryady had also been sold by 2025.[19][20]

Yakunin was also associated with Antognolla Resort & Residences in Umbria, Italy, where he served as chairman of the board of directors.[21] In October 2025, Il Sole 24 Ore reported that investor Mohamed Alabbar had acquired Antognolla from Yakunin.[22]

Yakunin has dual British and Russian citizenship.[23]

Norway drone case

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Yakunin was arrested in Norway on 17 October 2022, during a sailing trip in Svalbard, and charged with violating Norwegian sanctions regulations by flying a recreational drone.[24][25] Prosecutors argued that sanctions imposed after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine barred Russian citizens from operating drones in Norwegian airspace.[24]

Yakunin was initially acquitted by the Nord-Troms and Senja District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal. In June 2023, the Supreme Court of Norway overturned the acquittal, ruling that drones were covered by the sanctions regulation's reference to aircraft, and sent the case back to the district court.[26][27]

After the case returned to the district court, Yakunin was again acquitted. The prosecution appealed, but the Court of Appeal refused to hear the appeal, ending the criminal case.[28] In October 2024, he was awarded NOK 2.7 million in compensation for legal expenses following the acquittal.[29]

References

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  1. ↑ "FAQ for media in the case of Andrey Yakunin". Elden Advokatfirma AS (in Norwegian and English). Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  2. ↑ Soldatkin, Vladimir (25 July 2012). "Special Report – Russian Railways' family connections". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Hartog, Eva (11 October 2015). "Yakunin Quit Russian Railways Over Son's Wish to Become British Citizen – Report". The Moscow Times.
  4. ↑ Colchester, Max; Strasburg, Jenny; Kostov, Nick (8 March 2022). "As Russia Sanctions Intensify, Several Oligarchs Speak Out Against Ukraine War". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. 'Please don't draw an equal sign between Russians, the Russian state and the Government of [the] Russian Federation. There are many Russians strongly opposing the current military action, and I am one of them,' said Andrey Yakunin,
  5. ↑ Aris, Ben (30 November 2022). "INTERVIEW: Son of sanctioned Vladimir Yakunin goes on trial in Norway for illegally flying drones". bne IntelliNews. 'I was one of the first to go publicly on record with my position along with a lot of my friends when the hostilities broke out. If anything, over the time since then, I have grown stronger in my position and see no reason to re-evaluate,' Yakunin told bne IntelliNews.
  6. ↑ RFE/RL's Russian Service (30 June 2023). "Norwegian Court Cancels Acquittal Of Son Of Putin Confidant Yakunin". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In April, Andrei Yakunin said in an interview with Italy's La7 television channel that he is against Russia's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
  7. ↑ "Yakunin Quit Russian Railways Over Son's Wish to Become British Citizen". Moscow Times. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  8. 1 2 Yakunin, Vladimir (2018). The Treacherous Path: An Insider's Account of Modern Russia. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978-1785903014.
  9. ↑ "Vladimir Yakunin: We should stop playing innocent". TASS. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Sviridova, Vera (April 2016). "Saint Petersburg University at a Glance" (PDF). Saint Petersberg University. pp. 5–7. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  11. ↑ "Андрей Якунин о новом этапе развития Ассоциации". St. Petersburg Alumni (in Russian). 21 December 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  12. ↑ "Special Report - Russian Railways' family connections". Reuters. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  13. ↑ "Платформа «отель»: как Андрей Якунин построил свой бизнес". Forbes.ru (in Russian). 17 May 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  14. ↑ "Андрей Якунин стал совладельцем "Агро-альянса"". Vedomosti (in Russian). 3 August 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  15. ↑ "French Kiss Overview". PitchBook. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "Фонд VIYM решил избавиться от доли в производителе круп". Forbes.ru (in Russian). 7 April 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  17. ↑ "As Russia Sanctions Intensify, Several Oligarchs Speak Out Against Ukraine War". The Wall Street Journal. 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ↑ "INTERVIEW: Son of sanctioned Vladimir Yakunin goes on trial in Norway for illegally flying drones". bne IntelliNews. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  19. ↑ "Иностранный отель в центре Петербурга сменил владельца". RBC (in Russian). 2 December 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  20. ↑ "Инвестиции в недвижимость в Петербурге упали до четырехлетнего минимума". RBC (in Russian). 20 October 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  21. ↑ "Antognolla CEO: Rising Demand for Branded Residences in Mediterranean Driven by Lifestyle Shift among High-Net-Worth Individuals". Yahoo Finance. 3 April 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  22. ↑ "Mohamed Alabbar acquires Antognolla Castle". Il Sole 24 Ore. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  23. ↑ "I will consider donating to an Arctic charity". The Barents Observer. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  24. 1 2 "Norway court overturns acquittal of Andrey Yakunin, son of former head of state-owned Russian Railways". Novaya Gazeta Europe. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "British-Russian man to fight charge of illegally flying drone in Norway". The Guardian. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  26. ↑ "Supreme Court cancels Yakunin-case ruling, Russians not allowed to fly drones in Norway". The Barents Observer. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "Høyesteretts dom i "dronesaken"". Advokatfirmaet Thommessen. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  28. ↑ "British-Russian Andrey Yakunin Acquitted After Drone Flight". High North News. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  29. ↑ "Son of former Putin's ally awarded 2,7 million kroner compensation". The Barents Observer. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
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