For the first time, a Russian oligarch is resisting the sanctions. He seeks publicity and criticizes a “clan confinement”.
April 16, 2026, 10:24April 16, 2026, 10:24
Andreas Maurer / ch media
Until February 24, 2022, Andrei and Aleksandra Melnitschenko lived with their children in St. Moritz without financial worries. Then the Russian army invaded Ukraine and the couple ended up on all relevant sanctions lists – including in Switzerland. The Swiss authorities froze 231 million francs and closed the villa in St. Moritz. The family now lives in a hotel in Dubai and is defending itself against Switzerland’s sanctions policy from there.
Andrei Melnichenko in 2024.Image: www.imago-images.de
On Wednesday, the couple sent two lawyers to the Federal Administrative Court in St. Gallen. For the first time, the court is hearing a Russia sanctions case. There are big questions at stake: Can Switzerland simply adopt EU law without listening to those affected? What influence does a rich family from Switzerland have on Putin? And is it okay to violate their fundamental rights?
As a precedent, the Swiss Department of Economic Affairs is starting with a lot of staff. Four officers sit in the hall, eagerly leafing through the documents and taking notes while the other side makes their argument
Who are Andrei and Aleksandra Melnichenko?
Andrei Melnichenko is one of the richest men in Russia. The business magazine “Forbes” estimates his fortune at $20 billion. He controlled the fertilizer company Eurochem, based in Zug, and the coal company Suek through a trust.
Melnichenko, born in 1972, is the son of a Belarusian physicist and a Ukrainian teacher. He initially studied physics in Moscow. In the chaotic 1990s, he entered foreign exchange trading from the university milieu, founded a bank and later built up his corporations from crisis-hit companies. His self-narration is: He is not an oligarch, but a self-made entrepreneur who recognized opportunities in a historical gray area and used them to form global corporations.
Melnichenko’s 118 meter long yacht.Image: www.imago-images.de
Aleksandra Melnitschenko, born in Belgrade, never lived in Russia. She is Croatian and Serbian, worked as a model and was the singer of the Serbian girl group “Models”.
Andrei and Aleksandra met in the south of France in 2003. They married two years later – with Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera as the wedding stars. The couple had lived in St. Moritz since 2009. In 2015, Eurochem moved its headquarters to Switzerland.
Why did Switzerland sanction the couple?
Switzerland sanctioned Andrei Melnichenko in March 2022 and later also his wife in step with the EU. In the official statement, Melnichenko is described as a leading Russian entrepreneur who, with Eurochem and Suek, is active in industries that provide the Russian state with significant income. His role in the Russian Association of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, where he sat on the executive committee and chaired the climate committee, is considered particularly stressful.
There is also the now iconic meeting in the Kremlin on February 24, 2022, when Putin received 37 entrepreneurs a few hours after the start of the war – images that are still circulating on YouTube today and have become a symbol of the closeness between the state and big business. Melnitschenko sat in the second row.
Melnichenko’s later appearances at business association congresses with Putin are also mentioned in the justification for the sanction. Aleksandra Melnitschenko came under scrutiny after her husband resigned as beneficiary of the trust shortly after the start of the war and she took his place. The authorities deduce that she has taken over her husband’s assets and continues to benefit from his wealth.
In court, the lawyer for the economic department emphasized that this was the largest war of aggression since the Second World War. Switzerland should not become a hub for circumventing sanctions. Melnichenko supports the Russian government by taking part in high-level meetings. Putin recently asked his oligarchs for money. “The impact of the sanctions will therefore increase,” argues the Economics Department.
How do the Melnichenkos defend themselves?
Melnichenko’s lawyer says: “He is no longer a leading businessman operating in Russia, he no longer holds any leadership positions.” He did not resign from the trust to avoid sanctions, but to protect his companies. He and his wife neither own nor control the companies, says the lawyer, and points to complicated trust structures.
Switzerland adopts the EU sanctions without checking them. “Decisions by a foreign political body have direct legal effect in Switzerland,” states the lawyer. The aim of the sanctions is to influence the course of the war. But the Melnichenkos had no influence whatsoever on this “completely senseless war”. The automatic and dynamic adoption of EU law by the Federal Council is therefore unlawful.
The lawyer describes the Melnitschenkos as “political hostages” of Switzerland. The fact that the Federal Council also sanctions the wife is “family-like”. The measures were hypocritical and achieved nothing – except to destroy the Melnitschenkos’ family life in Switzerland.
Why is the hearing public?
Andrei Melnichenko used to not give interviews and avoid the public. After the sanction, he suddenly went on the media offensive. He reported to the “World Week” and the “Time”; This resulted in epic interviews and reports.
Nobody there: An SRF reporter rang Melnitschenko’s doorbell in St. Moritz in 2022.screenshot: srf
He is also looking for an audience for his court case. His lawyer requested a public hearing, which rarely happens at the Federal Administrative Court.
The case shows how Melnichenko got caught between the two fronts. He is an enemy in Switzerland – but recently also in Russia. Because he wants to hold on to his luxurious life in the West, he is under pressure in his homeland.
Seco has a hard time with transparency
Seco only published the figures when printed. At first it refused to release it after a request from the Gotham City news portal. Only after an arbitration hearing before the public information officer did Seco make a U-turn, present the figures at a media event and present itself as a transparent authority. But contrary to the announcement, it did not provide any detailed figures, such as the distribution among the cantons.
Since then, Seco has not provided any new figures upon request, even though the last publication was more than a year ago. A spokesman nevertheless praises his agency as a global role model: “Since Russia’s attack on Ukraine, we have been the only country in the world to publish an update on blocked Russian assets once a year. There will be an update this year too.” The contradiction: Seco promises annual updates, but does not choose an annual rhythm. (mew)
What’s next with the case?
The Federal Administrative Court is now discussing the case behind closed doors and will announce the verdict in writing at some point – months will probably pass by then. It would be a surprise if Melnichenko were proven right. The judiciary only intervenes in sanctions policy if it appears arbitrary. (aargauerzeitung.ch)