Russia drops criminal case against businessman and 'Putin friend' Ilya Traber

Russia's Investigative Committee has closed the criminal case against St. Petersburg businessman Ilya Traber, citing his "complete lack of involvement" in the killing of entrepreneur Alexander Petrov, according to the St. Petersburg outlet Fontanka. Traber's lawyer confirmed the closure to the state news agency TASS.

Traber has also been granted the right to pursue compensation for both emotional distress and material losses stemming from what is now considered his unlawful detention.

Release and movements

According to media reports, Traber left a pretrial detention facility in Moscow on August 27 and traveled to St. Petersburg. The independent investigative outlet Agentstvo reported that he was fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet. Fontanka reported that since August 29, Traber has held meetings with government officials and business figures in both Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Who is Ilya Traber

Ilya Traber is widely regarded as a businessman with close ties to President Vladimir Putin. He started out in the 1980s as an antiques dealer, and by the 1990s had gained control over both the port of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal.

In June 2026, authorities accused Traber and his associate Vladimir Danilenko of orchestrating the 2020 murder of St. Petersburg businessman and municipal deputy Alexander Petrov. Both men were arrested at the time, with Traber sent to the Lefortovo pretrial detention center in Moscow.