The campaign for the next president of FIDE has become linked to a dispute over sanctions compliance after Ukrainian MP Oleg Dunda called for scrutiny of Wadim Rosenstein’s business interests.
Rosenstein, a German businessman and one of the candidates in the chess federation’s presidential election, is facing questions raised in Ukrainian media about companies connected to him and his family.
Dunda sent appeals to three officials: Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha; and Germany’s ambassador, Boris Ruge. The MP asked that Rosenstein and WR Group Holding be examined for possible breaches of sanctions legislation. He specifically urged Sybiha and Ruge to pursue a criminal investigation in Germany and asked Budanov to consider introducing sanctions against the businessman.
The request relies in part on Ukrainian media reports concerning LLC WR Rus, a Russian company described in those publications as being controlled by Rosenstein, both personally and through WR Group. Financial data cited by the journalists indicated rapid growth in the company’s business from 2023 onward. Revenue was reported at €18 million after an increase of almost fifteen times, while net profit reportedly climbed about 3.5 times to €1.8 million.
The publications cited in Dunda’s appeal also focused on individual transactions. One of them concerned Anastasia Zadorina, identified in the reports as the daughter of Russian Federal Security Service Colonel General Mikhail Shekin. According to the reporting, WR Rus imported Italian footwear worth more than €500,000 in 2025 for her benefit. The reports also said that other customers of the company included businesses associated with Russian oligarchs under sanctions.
Separate questions were raised about LLC 2R Integra, a logistics company belonging to Rosenstein’s brother Mikhail. According to the same body of reporting, its revenue grew almost fortyfold after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine and reached €21 million. Journalists alleged that the company delivered different categories of industrial goods to Russia despite sanctions restrictions. Among the products mentioned were dual-use items produced by India’s Polycab.
The controversy is not limited to the Ukrainian parliament. Vladimir Kovalchuk, vice-president of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, had previously called for action on similar grounds . He said that business activity continuing in Russia could ultimately support the Russian economy at a time when the country is funding its war effort. Kovalchuk went further by suggesting that Rosenstein should withdraw from the FIDE race before the September 26 vote.
Ukraine’s chess authorities have already been involved in other sanctions campaigns within the sport. According to the source, the Ukrainian federation was one of the organizations pressing for sanctions against former FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich. The text says he later stepped down after being included on EU sanctions lists.
At the end of August, the Ukrainian federation also succeeded in having the Russian team removed from the World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. The Olympiad is due to take place at the end of September, and the presidential election is planned for the same location.
Three candidates are named in the source as participants in the election: Wadim Rosenstein, Kazakhstan businessman Timur Turlov and German venture capitalist Jan Henric Buettner. However, the voting procedure may itself be affected by travel restrictions. The source refers to an official FIDE statement saying that several delegates eligible to vote have experienced visa difficulties, leaving open the possibility that the election schedule could change.
