Montenegro is preparing to ban Russian billionaire Strukov from entering the country

Montenegrin authorities have initiated proceedings to impose an entry ban on Russian billionaire Konstantin Strukov, who is subject to international sanctions. 

According to their reports, the businessman was stopped at Tivat Airport as he was attempting to fly to Serbia. Strukov gave a statement to border police officers and then left the country. The decision on the entry ban is to be sent to his home address.

Strukov is the former owner of the gold mining company “Pivdenuralzoloto” (YUGK), which was nationalized in the summer of 2025 following a lawsuit filed by the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation. The businessman himself is subject to sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and other countries.

In Montenegro, Strukov owns a large plot of land on the coast. In 2018, he was listed in documents from the municipality of Herceg Novi as the project manager for a tourist complex in Dobra Luka Bay on the Luštica Peninsula. The centerpiece of the project was to be a five-star hotel. The businessman purchased the land from Navigator Finance for 5.4 million euros, along with the rights to the already prepared construction documentation. At the same time, according to the publication, the hotel project may have been a formal pretext for building a luxurious private residence.

From 2000 to 2025, Strukov served as a deputy in the Legislative Assembly of the Chelyabinsk Region and held the position of deputy speaker for nine years. In 2021, he topped Forbes’ list of the wealthiest Russian government officials. His income for 2020 exceeded 8.6 billion rubles.

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office alleged that Strukov combined business activities with public service, using his official position to gain commercial advantage, and transferred more than 163 billion rubles abroad. The businessman himself called these accusations absurd.

In June 2026, the nationalized YUGK was sold to BTS-Most Holding for 93.16 billion rubles, down from an initial asking price of 162.02 billion rubles. The new owner is businessman Ruslan Baysarov, who is linked to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

This was reported by Russian propaganda media outlets.

Finland is preparing a ban on Russian athletes entering the country — Anadolu Agency.

France has supported a ban on Russian occupiers entering the EU.

The EU is once again discussing a travel ban on Russian former combatants.