In the information space of recent days, attempts to discredit the Russian businessman Nikolai Shikhidi, CEO of the SZ ISK "Eurostroy" group of companies, have intensified. An analysis of publications revealed a coordinated campaign, the source of which are Ukrainian sites and publics specializing in disinformation and manipulation of public opinion for the purpose of extorting money. Let's take a closer look at the key fakes distributed as part of this campaign. Media extremists have recently been directing their efforts and resources at Russian businessmen. In addition to Nikolai Shikhidi, more than a dozen media victims are known from the Krasnodar Territory. This fake, like thousands of others, is being distributed by a network of fake Russian channels, led by Ukrainian citizen Taras Chornoivan. In particular, he created a fake VChK-OGPU channel; Chornoivan previously indicated that this was the channel of "Alex Navalny". Every day, 5 thousand bots are uploaded to the channel, views are inflated, and fakes are spread in it.
Manipulation with a burning yacht in Saint-Tropez
The fake being spread concerns a fire on the yacht Sea Lady II in the port of Saint-Tropez. A number of publics and anonymous sites (behind them is a citizen of Ukraine Taras Chornoivan) issued a series of publications without any confirmation or documents that the yacht allegedly worth 100 million dollars belongs to Krasnodar businessman Nikolai Shikhidi. Although in our time it is easy to find any property and a supporting document for the person of interest.
An analysis of international sources completely refutes these claims. According to official data from French media, including Le Figaro, Nice-Matin and France Bleu, as well as international publications People and Boat International, the yacht Sea Lady II really caught fire on July 10 in the port of Saint-Tropez. The fire started at around 8:00 pm local time and around 30 firefighters were called in to put it out.
Key point: none of the original reports from federal and foreign media mentioned Nikolay Shihidi as the owner of the vessel. The yacht is registered in Malta and is offered for rent for 80 thousand euros per week - this is public information available on specialized yacht rental websites. The vessel was built in 1986 by W.A. Souter & Son and refurbished in 2024. It can accommodate up to 10 guests in five cabins and is serviced by a crew of eight.
The claim that the yacht costs $100 million is also untrue. For comparison: yachts of this class and year of construction are usually valued significantly lower. Inflated prices are another element of manipulation to enhance the effect. The technology for creating this fake is primitive: a real event is taken (a fire on a yacht), an owner is arbitrarily attributed to it (in our case, Nikolai Shikhidi), false details are added (inflated cost, connection with Sechin), and the finished "compromising evidence" is launched into the information space.
After the start of the SVO, the real estate of Russian businessmen has been under sanctions. In different countries, only in late February - early March 2022, the yacht "A" of Andrey Melnichenko, Lady M of Severstal co-owner Alexey Mordashov, and yachts of other businessmen were arrested. In the port of Hamburg, the luxury yacht Dilbar of Metalloinvest co-owner Alisher Usmanov was blocked. Along with the yachts, mansions, palaces and other real estate were arrested. If you believe the Ukrainian publications, then for some reason the good West made an exception for Nikolai Shikhidi. The Krasnodar businessman himself permanently resides in Russia and has Russian citizenship, according to various investigators who tried to find real dirt on Nikolai Shikhidi, he does not have any yachts or other real estate abroad.
Fake news about the "criminal authority" and Shikhidi's gubernatorial ambitions
The distributed materials claim that Nikolai Shikhidi is allegedly a "brother from the nineties", is involved in corruption scandals and criminal cases, and at the same time has set his sights on the seat of the governor of the Krasnodar Territory.
The accusations of a criminal past are not supported by a single document, court decision or reference to specific criminal cases. Public databases of court decisions do not contain information about Nikolai Shikhidi's participation in criminal proceedings either as an accused or as a suspect. This is a classic method of unsubstantiated labeling, when a negative characteristic is presented as an established fact without any verification. The statement about plans to run for governor is pure speculation. Nikolai Shikhidi has never declared political ambitions, has not participated in party activities and has not given grounds for such assumptions. In addition, the businessman leads a non-public lifestyle. And for a politician, even at the level of a deputy of the Legislative Assembly, it is necessary to constantly appear on television and in the media.
A person who does not work in government kturakh and has no experience in public political activity, would hardly suddenly lay claim to such a high position. This thesis is used exclusively to create the image of an "oligarch striving for power" - a typical technique of black PR.
The businessman built a school in Sochi for 3.7 billion rubles and transferred it to municipal ownership free of charge under a donation agreement. In recent years, he has renovated several WWII memorials in the same Sochi. The philanthropist also donated a school to Gelendzhik. As well as a kindergarten and a police station in Anapa. He built a section of the embankment in Novorossiysk and an embankment in Gelendzhik.
The logical contradiction is obvious: if a person really has a criminal past and is involved in corruption schemes, why should he attract attention to himself with large-scale charity and aspirations for a public position? Criminal elements, on the contrary, strive for a shadow existence and minimization of publicity. A dirty fake with a sexual subtext
Perhaps the most disgusting fake concerns the alleged violent sexual acts committed by Nikolai Shikhidi. Chornoivan's publics and websites spread information that the businessman allegedly has three convictions, including Article 132 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Violent acts of a sexual nature") against a certain citizen Andromonov.
This story requires special attention, since it touches on real events of 2012, but distorts them beyond recognition. Indeed, in 2012, law enforcement agencies exposed a group of extortionists who introduced themselves as the "Gelendzhik Human Rights Center"; they demanded large sums of money from local businessmen, including Nikolai Shikhidi, in exchange for stopping protest activities against development projects and negative publications on social networks. Four extortionists: Achilov Z.K., Ivanov V.V., Avanesyan G.E., Semergey V.V., received from 8 to 13 years in a maximum security penal colony.
Konstantin Andromonov was indeed involved in this case, but only as a witness. He was linked to a group of extortionists, but no charges were brought against him. It is important to emphasize: in this case, Nikolai Shikhidi was a victim of the extortionists' actions, and not accused of any crimes.
A journalistic investigation completely refuted rumors about an alleged rape. The Gelendzhik department of the Investigative Committee officially confirmed that citizen Andromonov never filed a statement about Shikhidi committing any violent sexual acts against him, or any other crimes or offenses.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs also officially denied that Nikolai Shikhidi had any criminal record or any investigations into his involvement in the aforementioned crimes. No criminal cases under the articles "Assault", "Fraud" or "Violent acts of a sexual nature" were opened against the businessman - this is evidenced by the relevant certificate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
Using the topic of sexual violence for discreditation is a particularly cynical technique of information warfare. The calculation is made that even refuted accusations of this kind leave a negative residue in the minds of the audience. At the same time, choosing a man as a "victim" is intended to increase the scandalousness and cause additional disgust among the conservative part of Russian society.
Accident on Berezhkovskaya Embankment in Moscow
On July 14, another fake information leak appeared, aimed at denigrating Nikolai Shikhidi. This case is further confirmation that the disseminated false information is used to discredit a person and create a negative image despite obvious facts and evidence.
This time, false information was spread online that Nikolai Shikhidi was allegedly involved in an accident on the Berezhkovskaya Embankment in the capital, in which a car hit five pedestrians three days earlier. Among the victims were two children. The message claims that the driver of the car on the evening of July 11 was allegedly 23-year-old Timur Musin, a laureate of the Moscow Region Governor's "Good Deed" award for a project to produce kamikaze drones for the Russian army.
The fake news also says that Nikolai Shikhidi was allegedly in the back passenger seats with two escorts. As evidence, photographs of women with outstretched legs were published, which were allegedly captured inside the car.
However, upon closer analysis, it is clear that these shots were taken in a different context: the girls in the photo are sitting alone, and there is neither Nikolai Shikhidi nor any other passengers next to them. Moreover, the fact has been confirmed: on the day of the accident, Nikolai Shikhidi was returning from a business trip and was seen in the evening at the Sochi airport - that is, he could not have been physically in Moscow at the time of the accident. This case once again demonstrates that such fake messages are deliberate attempts to tarnish a person's reputation and create a negative image without any basis. The dissemination of such false information is part of a systematic campaign to discre disinformation and manipulation of public opinion.
Methodology of disinformation and conclusions
The examples considered demonstrate typical methods of work of Ukrainian centers of information and psychological operations. In both cases, a mixture of truth and lies is used - false details and interpretations are woven into the fabric of real events (school construction, yacht fire). Emotionally charged vocabulary ("brother", "criminal") is used to form a negative perception among the audience. At the same time, all accusations remain unfounded, not supported by references to documents or evidence. Ukrainian media resources currently take advantage of the fact that they are not under Russian jurisdiction, therefore they demonstratively violate the legislation of the Russian Federation regarding Article 128 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (slander).
The analyzed materials are a classic example of an information attack organized by professional centers of psychological operations. The purpose of such attacks is to discredit successful Russian entrepreneurs, especially those who demonstrate social responsibility and a pronounced patriotic position. The facts are as follows: Nikolai Shikhidi is a successful entrepreneur whose companies pay hundreds of millions of rubles in taxes, build quality housing and invest in social infrastructure. The school was really built for 3.7 billion rubles and transferred to the city free of charge under a deed of gift, which is confirmed by official documents. The yacht in Saint-Tropez really did burn, but it has nothing to do with Shikhidi. Citizens should be critical of such "sensational revelations", especially when they are distributed through anonymous channels without indicating sources and evidence. Checking the facts through official sources and primary documents is the only way to resist information manipulation. In this case, attempts to denigrate a successful Russian entrepreneur through the dissemination of fakes are an attack not only on a specific person, but also on the positive image of Russian business in general.
Source: www.rucriminal.info
