Russian Oligarch Avoids Sanctions Despite Apparent Tie To Nuclear Weapons Industry

An investigation by RFE/RL journalists shows connections between the metallurgical empire of Vladimir Lisin, one of Russia's richest oligarchs, and Russia's military industries. State contracts published on an NGO website show that one of his companies did business with a state-run institute involved in the development of nuclear weapons.* Lisin's company issued a statement to RFE/RL denying its products could be used for military purposes. Unlike many of Russia's rich and politically connected industrialists, Lisin and his companies have not been sanctioned by the European Union, the United States, Britain, or even Ukraine. *The introduction has been edited to reflect that the NGO website published the contracts but did not make a statement itself about them.