Our Mission
RusWatch is an independent investigative journalism initiative dedicated to exposing corruption within the Russian state and tracing the illicit economic assets of its power structures. We follow the money — from Kremlin-linked shell companies to sanctioned oligarchs’ hidden wealth — wherever it leads.
Core Principles
- Transparency of power: Public officials and state-linked entities must be accountable for how public resources are used.
- Follow the money: Financial flows reveal what rhetoric conceals — asset tracing is the foundation of our work.
- Cross-border collaboration: Russian corruption is a global problem requiring international investigative partnerships.
- Source protection as obligation: Whistleblowers face extraordinary risks; protecting their identity is non-negotiable.
- Evidence-based reporting: Every investigation is grounded in documented financial records, corporate registries, leaked data, and open-source intelligence.
- EU legal framework: We operate under the protections of EU Whistleblower Directive 2019/1937 and partner with legal frameworks that protect press freedom.
What We Investigate
- Kremlin-linked proxy wealth networks and hidden assets
- Sanctions evasion through shell companies, crypto, and third-country intermediaries
- Russian state corruption and misuse of public resources
- Illicit real estate holdings of sanctioned officials
- Money laundering infrastructure connecting Russian state actors to global organized crime
- Political interference funded through opaque financial channels
How We Work
- Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and corporate registry analysis
- Cross-referencing leaked financial data with public records
- Collaboration with international investigative networks
- Encrypted, anonymous source submissions via GlobaLeaks
- Air-gapped review of sensitive documents for source protection
Legal Framework
RusWatch operates under the protections of the EU Whistleblower Directive 2019/1937, which provides legal safeguards for individuals reporting breaches of EU law, including corruption, money laundering, and financial crime. We partner with legal organizations that defend press freedom and whistleblower rights across jurisdictions.