Nikolai Tokarev

Nikolay Petrovich Tokarev (; born 20 December 1950) is a Russian businessman and oligarch. He is the president of the Russian pipeline company Transneft.

Early life and KGB In 1973, Tokarev graduated from Karaganda Polytechnic Institute (KarPI) with a degree in Electrification and Automation of Mining Works.

From 1978, Tokarev studied at the Moscow Higher School of the KGB for two years while Sergei Naryshkin also studied in the French section at the Higher School of the KGB at the same time and Vladimir Putin, who was also at the Higher School of the KGB, lived across the corridor from Naryshkin at the same time.

With a phone number as Major Tokarew in the Stasi phone book listed as the same number as Hptm. Tschemesow, he was a KGB officer in Dresden, East Germany, where he met and allied with KGB officers Vladimir Putin and Sergey Chemezov who were living in Dresden under their KGB boss Lazar Matveev. After Putin arrived at Dresden in 1985, Tokarev, who arrived at Dresden in 1983 two years before Putin, was a senior comrade to Putin and took him in under his wing. They became close friends.

Oil businessman

From 1999 to 2000, before heading Zarubezhneft, he worked at Transneft in the department of the foreign economic block and foreign projects. From 2000 to 2007, he was president of the Russian oil company Zarubezhneft. On 3 March, the United States imposed similar sanctions on Tokarev, his wife and daughter. On 10 March, the British government imposed sanctions which involved freezing Nikolay's assets and a travel ban.

He was sanctioned by New Zealand in relation to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Personal In 2002, the company Stroyvip, which has the same address as Promsvyazbank, became a shareholder of the former Pravda now known as the largest publishing and printing complex "Press-1" .

In 2007, Tokarev's son in law Andrey Bolotov (; born 1973 or 1974) was closely associated with ITERA from 2001 to 2004 and since 2005 has headed the large clients' accounts at Vneshtorgbank (VTB). Previously, Bolotova had owned MIK Rusinvest LLC , which is a company that was owned by the family of Vladimir Artyakov, who is the first deputy of the Sergey Chemezov led Rostec, and Stanislav Chemezov who formerly held a 48.5% stake.