Kadyrov's nephew received Serbian citizenship.

Ramzan Kadyrov's nephew, Yakub Zakriev, who heads the company that acquired Danone Russia assets, has received Serbian citizenship. The document, signed by the Serbian Prime Minister, states that the citizenship was granted "in the interests of the republic."

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Yakub (Ibrahim) Zakriev, the nephew of the head of Chechnya, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture of the Republic, became the CEO of JSC Danone Russia after Vladimir Putin transferred the foreign company's stake in Danone Russia to the temporary management of the Federal Property Management Agency. Zakriev also became the head of Danone Trade, a key subsidiary of Danone in Russia. On November 3, 2023, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Yakub Zakriev and his father, Salman, Ramzan Kadyrov's son-in-law and deputy speaker of the Chechen parliament, and in June 2024, Yakub Zakriev was sanctioned by the UK.

Serbia granted citizenship to the CEO of "Milk Logic" (the former assets of Danone Russia have been called this since October 2025, according to RBC - ed. "Caucasian Knot") to Yakub Zakriev, who is also known as the nephew of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. This was reported by the Serbian publication Nedeljnik, citing an order in the publication Službeni glasnik.

The document, with the wording "in the interests of the republic," was signed by Prime Minister Djuro Matsuta. In its explanation for granting citizenship, the Serbian government cited a law that states that a passport may be issued to "a foreigner whose entry is of interest to the Republic of Serbia." However, the interest of Kadyrov's relative in obtaining citizenship was not stated.

The official owner of "Logika Moloko," Chechen businessman Ruslan Alisultanov, according to Cric, also received Serbian citizenship on March 14, 2024. The document was signed by Ana Brnabić, Chairperson of the National Assembly of Serbia. Ruslan Alisultanov's family members—his two daughters and two sons—also received Serbian citizenship, according to Mediazona (recognized as a foreign agent).

As a reminder, sanctions against Ramzan Kadyrov's relatives and Chechen officials have been repeatedly imposed since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine. On August 24, 2023, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 11 Russian citizens. Among them are Aymani Kadyrova, the mother of the head of Chechnya; Chechen ombudsman Mansur Soltayev; the republic's prime minister, Muslim Khuchiev; and the commander of the Akhmat Kadyrov police regiment, Zamid Chalayev. The head of Chechnya then stated that he would not forgive the US for the sanctions imposed on his mother and demanded that they be lifted, calling the sanctions "painless."

In September 2022, the US tightened sanctions against Kadyrov, extending them to his wife and three daughters, as well as Fatima Khazuyeva and Aminad Akhmadova, who were named on the list as Kadyrov's wives. Ramzan Kadyrov himself has been under US sanctions since 2017, and under EU sanctions since 2014, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Kadyrov: Ten Years Under Sanctions."