Russia seizes World of Tanks assets over 'extremist' activities

The Russian government is putting pressure on top executives at the companies that make World of Tanks. According to a report by RIA Novosti , the Russian government has accused Viktor Kisly, the owner of Wargaming, and Malik Khatazhaev, the owner of Lesta Games, of engaging in "extremist activities" in connection with Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

According to reports, the charge has led the Russian government to confiscate assets belonging to the Lesta Group and are attempting to take possession of all of Khatazhaev's shares in the business. Wargaming, the company behind World of Tanks, was established in Minsk, Belarus, in 1998. In 2011, it moved its headquarters to Cyprus, and since then, it has developed many studios across the world.

After Russia launched its full-scale, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it withdrew from Belarus and Russia and handed off administration of World of Tanks to Lesta Games, a Russian business that Wargaming had purchased in 2011. According to Wargaming, as of March 31, 2022, it was "no longer affiliated" with Lesta.

It appears that the Russian government doesn't care all that much about that separation. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, Khatazhaev and Kisly "are part of an association that carries out extremist activities," according to the RIA Novosti reports. The office backed up this assertion with information regarding Wargaming's resistance to the invasion and fundraising efforts for Ukrainians.

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Wargaming released statement on situation

In a statement given to PC Gamer, Wargaming effectively verified that situation. "Wargaming made a strategic exit from the Russian and Belarusian markets three years ago," claimed a spokesperson. "With no thought to repurchase it, the corporation sold its operations in Belarus and Russia to the local management for free and without incurring any debt or cash. Wargaming has neither financial resources nor commercial ties to Belarus or Russia."

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