Investigation: Paid Russian Consulate Appointment Service Linked to Abramovich's Circle
Konsul Prime, a company that charges Russians abroad for help booking Russian consulate appointments, has ties to associates of billionaire Roman Abramovich, Verstka reported. It operates as an official partner of Russia's Foreign Ministry.
The independent Russian outlets Verstka and Meduza report that Konsul Prime, a company that charges Russian citizens living abroad for help securing consular appointments, is tied to associates of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. The firm operates as an official partner of Russia's Foreign Ministry, offering paperwork assistance and priority access to appointments.
Appointments always available
Konsul Prime began operating in late 2022. Although people normally wait weeks for a consular slot, the company reportedly always has appointments on offer. Russian emigrants say in group chats and online forums that booking a consular appointment has become even harder since the service launched.
Who is behind the company
The main legal entity, Tsentr Servis LLC, was established in December 2022 by Yefim Malkin. According to Verstka, he started working with Abramovich in the 1990s at the oil company Sibneft and was later linked to Millhouse entities that managed assets of Abramovich and his partner Yevgeny Shvidler.
In September 2022, Mikhail Livergand, another Abramovich associate who had worked in investment and real estate and served as Malkin's assistant, took ownership of Konsul Prime. In August he had founded Tsentr Servis Digital, which holds the rights to the service's software platform. Since July 2023, Darya Zhurova, 53, has held 49% of both companies; Verstka suggests she may be a nominee owner. Livergand kept controlling stakes.
Contracts with UAE entities
Meduza found that clients in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland sign contracts with United Arab Emirates-registered entities, Docs Management L.L.C. and Konsul Prime DMCC. The latter is owned by Tsentr Servis.
The branches are handled by Konsul Tsentr, which operates on behalf of the Foreign Ministry. Since 2024, Tsentr Servis has owned 90% of it, with 10% held by an administrative office under the ministry. In February 2026, Russia's Unified State Register of Legal Entities stopped disclosing the founders of Konsul Prime's Russian entities. Tsentr Servis Digital is valued at 1.17 billion rubles, according to its financial statements.
