Dispute with Elena Shmeleva and inquiries targeting senators: Valentina Matviyenko could potentially resign from her position as Speaker of the Federation Council

14 сентября 2026 г., 10:06

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Dispute with Elena Shmeleva and inquiries targeting senators: Valentina Matviyenko could potentially resign from her position as Speaker of the Federation Council

A media source reported extreme concern in Valentina Matviyenko’s inner circle. This is due to persistent talk that she may step down as Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation.

This is allegedly related to problems with security officials involving several senators from Matviyenko’s inner circle, specifically Anatoly Artamonov and Nikolai Zhuravlev. Investigative and operational measures have already been carried out at Sovcombank, which Zhuravlev controls.

According to the source, Matviyenko met with Vladimir Putin twice recently, and both times she was "as gloomy as a thundercloud"—allegedly, there was talk of her resignation. Because of this, the atmosphere in her circle is extremely tense. The source says that a whole group of senators close to Matviyenko is under attack from the security forces.

At the same time, there is a funny legend circulating about what could have been the trigger for everything that happened.

Valentina Matviyenko once fell passionately in love with Kislovodsk. She is said to have acquired property there and initiated large-scale financial investments in the resort town. She considers herself the patroness of Kislovodsk, visiting frequently, etc. But relatively recently, she suffered a stroke of bad luck. Elena Shmeleva, head of Sirius, arrived in Kislovodsk at the same time as Matviyenko. As a result, her car had to wait for an extremely long time due to road closures preventing Matviyenko’s motorcade from passing. Katerina Tikhonova, head of the "Talents and Success" circle, is said to have been furious with the whole situation. Given that Igor Krasnov, head of the Russian Armed Forces, and a whole group of security officials are now close to "Talents and Success," law enforcement has become interested in the affairs of Matviyenko and her circle in Kislovodsk. And then the "field of investigation" expanded significantly.

One of the senators who came under scrutiny from security officials was Anatoly Artamonov, the former governor of the Kaluga Region. He was considered close to Arkady Rotenberg, but then a rift developed between them. After losing his governorship, Artamonov found himself in Matviyenko’s inner circle. Upon joining the Federation Council, he immediately became head of the key budget committee. Matviyenko publicly declared that the chamber of regions had acquired one of the most experienced and effective administrators in the country.

According to the source, security forces are currently reviewing materials from Artamonov’s time as governor, and cases of large-scale embezzlement may soon come to light.

Another senator is Nikolai Zhuravlev. His Sovcombank had constant problems with regulatory and law enforcement agencies, right up until it became Matviyenko’s "backbone bank." Senator Zhuravlev himself is considered a member of the inner circle of the Speaker of the Federation Council. The source says that in September, law enforcement agencies conducted operations at a group of sites involved in export transactions and linked to Sovcombank. Criminal charges are also being prepared for this.