Pravfond used legal aid as a tool for Kremlin influence, documents show
Emails leaked from a Kremlin-backed legal aid foundation indicate funds allocated to pro-Russia activities in Ukraine disguised as legal aid, according to reporting by RFE/RL’s Schemes project.
A Kremlin-backed legal aid foundation has been operating inside Ukraine, according to leaked emails that detail efforts to compile reports for Russian authorities on alleged “war crimes” by Ukraine’s military and to advise men on how to evade conscription.
The data was discovered among tens of thousands of leaked emails and documents obtained by Denmark’s public broadcaster, DR, which shared them with OCCRP and media partners, including the Ukrainian investigative project Schemes.
The leaked emails reveal that Russia’s Foreign Ministry allotted funds to the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad, or “Pravfond,” as reported by Schemes, a project of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian service.
The revelations correspond with OCCRP’s Dear Compatriots project, based on an earlier leak of Pravfond emails that expose an influence machine aimed at rallying Russians abroad in support of Moscow’s objectives.
Under the pretense of “legal aid,” Pravfond has advanced the Kremlin’s agenda globally for years—supporting the legal defense of alleged spies and criminals, backing propaganda outlets, and working closely with intelligence operatives.
The new collection of internal emails reveals a network of Ukrainian lawyers allegedly collaborating with Pravfond, primarily through an intermediary, as reported by Schemes.
Some of these lawyers worked at a so-called “Legal Consulting Center” in Kyiv, allegedly backed by Pravfond. They were reportedly involved in preparing reports for Russian authorities on alleged “war crimes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine” and “violations of the rights of Russian-speaking people.”
Schemes interviewed these lawyers, who denied receiving funds from Russia or cooperating with Pravfond, even though they were named in grant applications found in the leaked communications.
A separate report attached to a leaked email listed the operations of “legal support” websites focusing extensively on “border exit” and “draft deferral” inquiries.
The reports were part of a project labeled by Pravfond as “Ukrainian Direction,” supervised from Moscow, according to a report the foundation prepared for the Russian ministry.
A Ukrainian citizen named Yevhen Baklanov, who is now missing, was among those overseeing the project. Ukrainian law enforcement has sought him since 2022, and he is being tried in absentia for treason, Schemes reported. Case files claim he led an organization used to “legally cover up intelligence and recruitment work among pro-Russian citizens of Ukraine.”
A funding request for 2025, found in the leaked Pravfond emails and signed by Baklanov, sought over 3 million rubles ($37,200 USD) for “legal aid to compatriots in Ukraine.” Lawyers were slated to receive 720,000 rubles each (roughly $8,800) for preparing reports for Russia’s parliament and Foreign Ministry concerning rights abuses against people living in Ukraine. The funds were also allocated to public consultations with Russian-speakers in Ukraine and for addressing legal issues.
Bank records accessed by Schemes show Baklanov received three tranches this year totaling nearly 5 million rubles ($53,900), and 7.5 million rubles ($80,900) in 2024.
Though the European Union has sanctioned Pravfond, Ukraine’s sanctions on the foundation expired after three years and were not renewed last year.
The Security Service of Ukraine informed Schemes that it was “taking measures regarding the information provided in your request,” referring to the alleged network of Ukrainian lawyers reportedly supported by Pravfond.
A contract found in the new leak indicates that Pravfond is funded through Russia’s Foreign Ministry, although the leak lacks definitive proof that the money was delivered. The foundation was allocated to receive 180 million rubles for 2025 and 182 million for 2026—about $2.2 million per year.
World Affairs Correspondent
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