In Russia, a handful of businessmen control the oil and gas industry which has been vital to the Russian economy for decades. But who are these Russian oligarchs that surround President Putin? And how did they get their hands on a resource that was entirely nationalised during the Soviet Era?

In the era of Russian President Yeltsin, the oligarchs, with their massive investments in the UK, France and Germany and their influence on the Western elites, epitomised the new Russian soft power. But there would be a changing of the guard as Putin ruthlessly installs his men at the top of the Russian energy sector.

In Russia, a handful of businessmen control the oil and gas sector, serving Vladimir Putin's expansionist plans. Last episode: When Putin annexed Crimea in 2014, Europeans, dependent on Russian energy, were unable to follow the American sanctions. Even today Russian gas is shipped to Europe, the profits of which fund Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.