The youngest daughter of Russian war criminal Vladimir Putin, Katerina Tikhonova, has found a lucrative business in war profiteering. While Russian soldiers are sent to die in Ukraine, she is cashing in on their bloodshed through her direct involvement in the military drone industry. According to an investigation by Russian media outlet Verstka, Tikhonova’s foundation has enriched itself by acquiring a stake in Geoscan, Russia’s largest manufacturer of civilian aircraft drones, which conveniently found its way into military production.
Tikhonova’s foundation, National Intellectual Development, quietly purchased a 10 percent stake in Geoscan at the end of 2023. Soon after, the company’s fortunes skyrocketed, likely fuelled by lucrative state contracts. In 2024, its revenue quadrupled to 4.7 billion rubles (approximately £40 million). Officially, Geoscan presents itself as a civilian UAV manufacturer, but its integration into Russia’s military supply chain is undeniable. This is precisely why Ukraine imposed sanctions on the company in July 2023.
Geoscan’s transformation into a key military supplier is hardly a secret. Andrey Nazarov, the so-called Prime Minister of the Republic of Bashkortostan, openly boasted in 2023 that Geoscan-Ufa would be producing drones for Russia’s war effort. Geoscan-Ufa was originally part of the larger Geoscan group until July 2022, when its ownership shifted. The company’s co-founder, Vladimir Semenov, offloaded a 40 percent stake to Vener Mirzayanov, the CEO of Ural-Trading, who already controlled the remaining 60 percent. Officially, Ural-Trading is in the business of real estate, beer, and meat, yet somehow, military drone production conveniently slipped into its portfolio.
Despite claiming to be a civilian technology firm, Geoscan has seamlessly blended itself into Russia’s war machine. Its products are now essential components in the Kremlin’s aggression against Ukraine. Following Tikhonova’s investment, the company ceased publishing its financial statements, likely to obscure just how much war money is flowing into her pockets. However, leaked records reveal that in 2024, the balance sheet of her foundation increased to 4.4 million rubles (around £37,000).
The reach of Geoscan’s operations extends beyond military production. In September 2024, it partnered with the Russian publishing house Prosveshcheniye to develop an educational programme for schoolchildren in grades 8 and 9. This initiative is part of Russia’s ongoing militarisation of youth, embedding war technology into education.
Tikhonova’s business dealings further expose the hypocrisy of the Russian elite. While Russian families bury their sons, Putin’s daughter profits from the very drones that send them to war. The same Kremlin that claims to fight Western “imperialism” is, in reality, running a war economy that enriches Putin’s family and inner circle.
