AnewZ has launched a new investigations unit with the premiere of The Oligarch’s Design, a long-form documentary marking the debut of AnewZ Investigations, its cross-border reporting initiative.
The film examines how power and influence can be constructed outside formal political systems, focusing on the role of financial networks, philanthropy and carefully shaped public narratives. It is the first instalment in a new investigative documentary series produced by AnewZ.
At the centre of the documentary is the story of Ruben Vardanyan, tracing his journey from Moscow’s financial elite to a political role within an unrecognised separatist administration in 2022.
The investigation draws on open-source material and builds on earlier international reporting, including findings linked to the so-called Troika Laundromat, a network of offshore companies used to move billions of dollars through the global financial system.
Filmed in Italy, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, the United States, Armenia, Israel, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, the documentary brings together analysis from a range of experts, offering multiple perspectives on the mechanisms of influence explored in the film.
Rufat Hamzayev, executive director of AnewZ, described The Oligarch’s Design as the result of an extensive international investigative effort and said work on the documentary had begun in January.
“Nearly 100 people were involved in the preparation of the project, including journalists, producers and legal advisers,” he noted. “From the outset, our goal was to avoid a one-sided interpretation and to produce a documentary that reflects AnewZ’s mission of neutral, balanced journalism.”
AnewZ editor-in-chief Guy Shone said editorial restraint was a deliberate and defining choice.
“The film presents evidence and context, but avoids conclusions delivered through narration,” he said. “We deliberately leave space for the audience to assess the material. This approach reflects the standards we expect for investigative work at AnewZ.”
The next film in the series, The Shadow Trade, is due to premiere soon.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest visit to Beijing appeared to be more than a routine state meeting between two strategic partners.
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A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 25th May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths reported so far.
As dawn broke on Monday, pilgrims began arriving at the sacred site of Mina west of Mecca, marking the start of Hajj - one of the most significant spiritual journeys in Islam.
The UK is experiencing potentially record-breaking temperatures after forecasters confirmed some areas reached highs close to 34°C on Monday.
A Palestinian shepherd says her family’s Eid al-Adha preparations were destroyed after dozens of sheep were allegedly stolen in a pre-dawn raid in the occupied West Bank, leaving her without both a religious sacrifice and her family’s main source of income.
Armenia’s upcoming elections are emerging as a defining geopolitical test, amid growing debate over the country’s future direction between Russia and the West, rising regional pressure, energy dependence concerns and shifting security alliances.
Shortly after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning (26 May), a sleek white train eased into Tbilisi’s central railway station, a couple of minutes behind schedule, carrying passengers from Baku for the first time since 2020.
A Turkish court ruling reinstating former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu triggered fresh unrest on Sunday (24 May), as riot police stormed the opposition party’s Ankara headquarters amid an escalating political crisis that critics say threatens democratic norms in Türkiye.
For the first time in decades, Armenia has rail access to the EU. The Akhalkalaki–Kars corridor, running through Georgia into Türkiye, is now officially open for Armenian cargo - a quiet but consequential shift in the region’s economic geography.
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