Putin's classmate has become the main supplier of school meals in Moscow

Four companies linked to Vladimir Putin’s classmate Ilgam Ragimov won all the contracts to supply meals to Moscow schools for 2026–2028. The total value of the 39 contracts is 126.7 billion rubles. These are companies that were previously part of the business of Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group. “Verona Capital” succeeded “Verona,” “KDP” succeeded the “Preschool Food Combine,” “RSK” succeeded “Russocapital,” and “ShYUZ” succeeded “Shkolnik-Yuz.”

All four companies were registered in March 2024, less than a year after Prigozhin’s death. Formally, they were registered in the names of Sergei Yefimchuk, Nikolai Kuznetsov, Dmitry Aliyev, and Olga Rusishvili, who had previously worked at the company “Grandtitul.” Its largest shareholder is Ragimov. According to “Verстка,” the remaining shares belong to individuals linked to his Azerbaijani business partners, God Nisanov and Zarakh Iliev.

Out of 39 tenders, “Verona Capital” won 12 worth 38.2 billion rubles, “KDP” won seven worth 29.1 billion, “RSK” won nine worth 34.8 billion, and “SHUZ” won 11 worth 24.6 billion rubles. All contracts involve the supply of food to Moscow schools in 2026–2028.

Ilgam Ragimov studied alongside Vladimir Putin at the law faculty of Leningrad State University, now St. Petersburg State University. Ragimov holds an honorary doctorate from this university, and a monument to him was erected there in January 2026.

Ragimov began actively engaging in business in 1999, when Putin became Prime Minister of Russia. In 2014, Forbes estimated Ragimov’s net worth at $500 million. His main sources of income were his stakes in the Sadovod market in Moscow, the Ukraine Hotel, and the Evropeysky and Panorama shopping centers.

According to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, Ragimov, along with two of Putin’s other classmates—Nikolai Egorov and Viktor Khmaryn—participated in financing the construction of the so-called “Putin Palace” near Gelendzhik. According to the foundation, the company “Investment Solutions,” linked to these businessmen, spent 7 billion rubles on this project. Ragimov himself stated in a 2010 interview that he and Putin have been friends for 40 years.

This is reported by Russian propaganda media.

Putin set a condition for a new meeting with Trump.

Prior to this, Trump had stated that Putin was ready to meet for peace talks.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hopes to end the full-scale war before winter with the help of U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump began their meeting on September 22 at the UN headquarters in New York. The talks are taking place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly after the leaders agreed to meet during a phone call.