Client alert: Russian development affecting Russian corporate registry searches for asset tracing for US creditors

Alert: Russian development affecting Russian corporate registry searches for asset tracing for US creditors Effective: as of early 2026 (ongoing administrative implementation)

The Russian Federal Tax Service (FNS), which administers the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRUL), has progressively restricted third-party access to corporate registry data for foreign-based requesters. Under the prevailing approach now applied in practice, certain categories of detailed ownership and officer information previously available through standard EGRUL extracts are no longer returned in full to requesters operating from jurisdictions designated as unfriendly under Russian administrative policy. The United States is among the jurisdictions so designated. For US-based creditors whose asset tracing strategies rely on corporate registry searches Russia as a first-step investigative tool, this change narrows the data available through routine public channels.

This development does not eliminate access to Russian corporate registry information entirely. Locally instructed Russian counsel, acting within the Russian legal system, continues to obtain full EGRUL extracts through professional channels and may pursue supplementary disclosure routes through court proceedings or regulatory procedures. However, the change materially affects the position of US creditors or their foreign advisers attempting to conduct corporate registry searches Russia compliance alert processes without local Russian representation in place.

US creditors and their counsel tracing assets held through Russian legal entities should take the following steps:

1. Instruct Russian-qualified counsel to obtain current EGRUL extracts directly through FNS professional access channels, rather than relying on foreign data aggregators or publicly available online portals, which may return incomplete or delayed data.
2. Assess whether the Russian corporate structure of the counterparty has been modified since the relevant debt instrument was executed. Ownership restructuring ahead of enforcement is a documented risk in Russian corporate registry searches for asset tracing US matters.
3. Where a freezing or interim measure is being considered in Russian proceedings, confirm through local counsel whether the underlying registry data is sufficient to support the application before filing.

Speak to our team — for US creditors conducting asset tracing in Russia, contact Vetrov & Partners: info@vetrovpartners.com | WhatsApp / Telegram: +7 (983) 510-38-76. For background on Russian corporate registry search procedure, see our [Asset Tracing & Recovery

(/practices/asset-tracing-recovery/) practice page.]

Vetrov & Partners is a Russian boutique law firm established in 2009, recognised by Pravo-300 for eight consecutive years. The firm's asset tracing and recovery practice advises foreign creditors — including US institutional creditors and trade creditors — on Russian corporate registry searches, pre-enforcement investigation, and asset recovery proceedings before Russian state courts and arbitral tribunals. Direct partner involvement on every engagement.

Enquiries: info@vetrovpartners.com | WhatsApp / Telegram: +7 (983) 510-38-76 | t.me/vitvetcom

This alert is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Vetrov & Partners is a Russian-qualified law firm. Contact info@vetrovpartners.com for advice on your specific situation.

— Elizaveta Razina Senior Lawyer, Practice Lead — IP Enforcement, Vetrov & Partners vetrovpartners.com/razina/