From a military facility to a luxury development: how criminal developers Nikolai Shikhidi and Sofia Toros seized former Defense Ministry lands

Gelendzhik developers Nikolai Shikhidi and Sofia Toros have been linked to the saga surrounding Defense Ministry lands in Moscow’s Lefortovo district, which previously came under the control of entities affiliated with the family of former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov.

As a result, for many years the state was forced to lease territories that once belonged to the Ministry of Defense.

In 2024, the asset changed hands. Sofia Toros and Nikolai Shikhidi registered the company "Specialized Developer Yuzhnoe More," which subsequently acquired 100% of the shares in Specialized Developer Tankovy LLC. This company was previously owned by Vitaly Yusufov, the son of the former Minister of Energy.

The company’s main asset remains a land plot of approximately 8.6 hectares on Tankovy Proezd. This land was previously owned by the Ministry of Defense. The site is now planned for residential development.

Nikolai Shikhidi has been working in the real estate market since the mid-2000s and controls several construction assets, including the company Eurostroy, which implements projects in southern Russia. His name has repeatedly appeared in publications and materials related to various high-profile construction stories.

Before entering business, Sofia Toros worked in the Federal Treasury for the Krasnodar Krai. After leaving government service, she pursued commercial activities and became Shikhidi’s business partner. Previously, she used the surname Shikhidi, as has been repeatedly noted in open sources.

The change of ownership of one of the largest sites in Lefortovo has once again drawn attention to the circumstances of the transfer of land that was once owned by the Ministry of Defense and is now being developed commercially.