He used to go fishing with Ramzan Kadyrov, guarded Mikhail Gorbachev during his visit to the United States, received the Hero of Russia title for the operation in Syria, and today remains one of Russia’s key military commanders.

This is General Alexander Matovnikov, the current Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces. He is part of the inner circle of Putin’s military system — a man trusted with extremely sensitive positions.

And, as we have found, his family owns real estate worth roughly 500 million rubles: two apartments in Moscow, a country house outside Moscow, three apartments in the new Dynasty residential complex near Defense Ministry facilities, an almost 170-square-meter apartment in Alushta with a sea view, and two more apartments in Yalta. There is no way to explain all of this with a military salary.

Matovnikov’s family is directly profiting from the war. After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the general’s son-in-law, Denis Izbrekht, acquired a major stake in Promsintez, a company that produces explosives for ammunition, aerial bombs, and missiles. During the war, the company’s revenue grew from just over 2 billion rubles in 2021 to more than 5 billion rubles in 2025.

So while Russian citizens are being lectured about “duty,” “patriotism,” and “supporting the army,” generals’ relatives are receiving defense assets, buying luxury real estate, and vacationing in Dubai, the Maldives, and Europe.

In 2022, Matovnikov’s daughter traveled around Spain with her future husband — the same businessman who would soon start buying up assets connected to explosives production. At the very same time, soldiers in Russia were being sent to the front, while the general’s family was enjoying restaurants in San Sebastián.

This is how Putin’s war really works.

For some, it means death notices. For others, seaside apartments and foie gras in Spain.

We have prepared official letters to foreign governments and will demand sanctions against Denis Izbrekht as one of the beneficiaries of the war.

Watch our new investigation and help spread it. Send it to those who still believe in “honest generals” and a “patriotic elite.” Behind their lofty words about the Motherland, there is always money.