Oligarchs, Putin's Gang

Directed by Jérôme Fritel

This documentary series offers a unique behind-the-scenes investigation into the world of Russian oligarchs, those who control oil and gas, from the fall of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s to the war in Ukraine in 2025. By placing the colossal financial manna of black gold at the disposal of the master of the Kremlin, the oligarchs, with the complicity of their Western associates, have served Putin's great ambition: to infiltrate, corrupt and dominate the West in order to reconstitute an Empire, that of Holy Russia.

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Episode 1 - A Stranglehold on Oil

On February 24, 2022, at the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin gathered Russian oligarchs in the Kremlin to seek financial support and allegiance. Among them were those in the energy sector, essential for financing the war. Since the fall of the USSR, these men, nicknamed the «7 bankers», have built their fortunes through the privatizations of the 1990s, particularly in the oil sector. Under the aegis of Boris Berezovsky, they financed the re-election of Boris Yeltsin in 1996, obtaining valuable oil assets in the process. By controlling natural resources, these oligarchs became economic and political powerhouses. However, their hold was challenged when Putin, elected president in 2000, gradually freed himself from their influence. The story of the rise of the oligarchs and their relationship with the Kremlin is interwoven with the fate of post-Soviet Russia and its vast oil reserves.

Episode 2 - Conquering the West

The new Russian president, Vladimir Putin, imposes his rule over the oligarchs. He imprisons Mikhail Khodorkovsky and forces Boris Berezovsky into exile, before focusing on restoring Russia's greatness and conquering Europe. To do so, he uses energy as leverage, placing allies from his inner circle, such as Alexei Miller and Igor Sechin, at the head of energy giants such as Gazprom and Rosneft. This “new guard” of siloviki oligarchs, former members of the security services, strengthened his power. At the same time, Russian oligarchs invested heavily in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom and Germany, where they influenced local elites. The energy pact with Germany, supported by former Chancellor Schröder, made European nations dependent and vulnerable.

Episode 3 - The War Chest

In 2014, Russia's invasion of Crimea plunged Europe into a very complicated situation. Germany, dependent on cheap Russian gas, refused to support US sanctions and continued construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. For its part, France, through Total, chose to ally itself with Putin to exploit Arctic gas via the Yamal project, and this partnership survived even the invasion of Crimea and the death of Christophe de Margerie, CEO of Total. In 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine, Western sanctions hit Russian oligarchs. Igor Sechin, a close associate of Putin, created a fleet to circumvent the sanctions and maintain oil exports. Meanwhile, the LNG tanker “Christophe de Margerie” continues to deliver gas. Russian oligarchs are survivalists. Now pariahs in the West, they have returned to Russia to serve Putin's grand ambition: to build a new geopolitical order that turns its back on the West.

Directed by: Jérôme Fritel
Written by: Jérôme Fritel and Marc Roche
Production: YAMI 2 - Christophe Nick and Antoine Boukobza
Broadcaster: ARTE
Year of release: 2025
Duration: 3 x 55 min

An enlightening investigation that begins with the economic chaos of the post-Soviet era and ends with the current war in Ukraine and its financing. (...) Since their remarkable films on the excesses of finance, Jérôme Fritel and Marc Roche have proven their talent for making even the most complex subjects crystal clear. This talent is once again put to good use in this series, which, through a wealth of first-hand accounts and fluid narration, sheds light on the ins and outs of a burning issue.
- Télérama (3T)

As gripping as a detective novel, the three-part investigation by Marc Roche and Jérôme Fritel tells the story of how Vladimir Putin tried to hold the European Union hostage through gas and oil, convinced that this dependence would give him a free hand in Ukraine.
- Le Monde

An in-depth, edifying documentary on the consequences of ultracapitalism.
- L'Humanité

A three-part documentary series, «Oligarchs, Putin's Gang» takes a precise and educational look at the construction of this state within a state. (...) Despite the complexity of the subject, the documentary impresses with its didactic approach.
- Ouest France