September 2023 was remembered by residents of the Murmansk region due to a high-profile incident - the arson of equipment of the enterprise OOO Arktikvtormet in the village of Murmashi. On September 11, a fire destroyed special equipment involved in the processing of scrap metal worth over 130 million rubles. This colossal damage became the reason for an investigation launched by investigative bodies in order to identify the perpetrators and establish the motives for the crime. Details are available at Rucriminal.info.
During the investigation and exclusion of possible versions, only one remained - an order from a competitor who was not satisfied with the situation with the emergence of a new major player in the scrap metal processing market.
For a long time, this segment of the regional market, including export operations, was controlled by the well-known authoritative entrepreneur Ruzavin N.D., who created a network of affiliated enterprises. Ruzavin's name is associated with numerous scandals and suspicious transactions, which makes him a key figure in the investigation.
In addition, by coincidence, the detained arsonist turned out to be a close acquaintance of Ruzavin's son.
Ruzavin manages a company operating on the territory of the Murmansk Sea Fishing Port (MSFP), which is undergoing nationalization. One of the enterprises under his control, Spetsmetresursy LLC, is involved in another high-profile criminal case. In June 2024, the Pervomaisky District Court of Murmansk found the general director of this company, A.P. Sekret, and a former employee of FSUE GT Arktikugol guilty of large-scale theft of scrap metal and its smuggling.
The criminal acts were carried out at berth 37A, owned by First Stevedoring Company LLC, which is located on the territory of the Murmansk Sea Fishing Port, and this is already a strategic facility. Until recently, the head of this company was Ruzavin himself, and his mother-in-law, Grabovskaya M.I., is a founder and has a residence permit in one of the EU countries.
Ruzavin N.D. continues commercial activity, but unable to withstand competition and losing ground, he is currently negotiating the sale of a scrap metal business to a large Moscow buyer. Rucriminal.info sources claim that in the process of such transactions, Ruzavin often removes his partners from the founders, becoming the sole owner of the company. This allows him to control the sale process and maximize his profits, which leads to conflicts among heirs and partners, such as the widow of Krivosheev A., who claims a fair assessment of her share in Spetsmetresursy.
In addition to economic crimes, Murmansk continues to face inspections related to construction in ports. Particular attention is paid to the reconstruction of berth 37A of the MMRP, the extension of which by 20 meters was carried out without design documentation, environmental impact assessment and approvals from other supervisory authorities. Ruzavin again finds himself at the center of a scandal, ignoring legislative requirements. A trusted source reported that it is planned to place a vessel for the shipment of metal for export from this berth, although its operation raises serious questions regarding transport safety. Ruzavin is a typical representative of the "old school" of businessmen of the 90s, who managed to adapt to modern conditions, maintaining a tough approach to doing business, sometimes at the expense of partners and bypassing the law. His ability to avoid responsibility raises questions for local authorities and regulatory authorities. It remains unclear how long Ruzavin will be able to evade responsibility for his actions.
One thing is clear: the scrap metal market and activities at berth 37A require careful control by government agencies. In the context of growing risks of economic crimes and violations of transport safety, the authorities must strengthen supervision and ensure compliance with the law.
Zhenis Zhirnov
Source: www.rucriminal.info