| Notes |
As a result, Nikolaev became a lobbyist for the legalization of firearms in Russia, his acquaintance said — it was then that he began to support the organization which Butina founded in 2010, “Right to Arms”. There was hope for liberalization of legislation under President Dmitry Medvedev, a source close to the Ministry of Defense explained. But after 2011, the question was taken off the table. At the same time, funding for the army increased, as well as the overall influence of the military — and the idea of private suppliers to the Ministry of Defense lost its relevance. According to the database of state orders, Promtekhnologii did not receive large orders from the Ministry of Defense. Another acquaintance of Nikolaev adds that the businessman became disenchanted with “Right to Arms” even before this. Nikolaev’s representative stated (Russian) that the businessman stopped sponsoring Maria Butina’s organization in 2014. |