{
  "id": 9358163,
  "title": "Firms Linked to Putin Classmate Win $1.5Bln in Moscow School Meal Contracts, Report Says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/firms-linked-to-putin-classmate-win-1-5bln-in-moscow-school-meal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T15:13:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Moscow Times",
    "slug": "the-moscow-times",
    "url": "https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/23/firms-linked-to-putin-classmate-win-15bln-in-moscow-school-meal-contracts-report-says-a93783"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Four firms connected to a former university acquaintance of President Vladimir Putin secured all 39 contracts to provide meals to Moscow schools from 2026 to 2028, according to an exiled news outlet called Vyorstka. The combined value of these contracts reached $1.5 billion. The companies, whose owners studied law with Putin at Leningrad State University, were established in March 2024, just a year after the demise of Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. The four successful firms were Verona Kapital, KDP, RSK, and ShYuZ. Verona Kapital won 12 contracts worth $450.8 million, KDP took seven worth $343.4 million, RSK secured nine contracts valued at $410.6 million, and ShYuZ obtained 11 contracts for $290.3 million. These companies replaced suppliers who were previously owned by Prigozhin. Ragimov, who studied alongside Putin, has been linked to the financing of a Black Sea property that the Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation associates with the Russian leader.",
  "summary": "The lucrative school catering business was once held by companies owned by late Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.",
  "key_points": [
    "Four firms linked to Putin's former university acquaintance secured all 39 meal contracts in Moscow.",
    "Combined value of contracts reached $1.5 billion.",
    "Companies Verona Kapital, KDP, RSK, and ShYuZ won the contracts."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}