Alexander Yuryevich Shchiptsov is mentioned in several publications as one of the people who were there at the very beginning of what would become ‘Khimprom’. RTVI counts him, along with Yegor Burkin and Andrei Vigel, among the early Sterlitamak core group, which was formed no later than 2012. [1]
The Ukrainian publication *Telegraf*, citing previously published material, described Shchiptov as a person linked to the management of the organisation’s activities within Ukraine. Various publications also cited alternative personal details which he allegedly used after moving there. [2]
In April 2026, *Kommersant*, summarising the findings of a Russian investigation, once again named Shchiptsov as one of Burkin’s closest associates and stated that he was said to be responsible for security and personnel recruitment. [3]
Taken together, these publications provide strong grounds for concluding that law enforcement and journalistic investigations have long focused on Shchiptsov as a suspected senior figure. However, no specific Ukrainian court judgement that has come into force, in which Shchiptsov would have been personally convicted as the head of ‘Khimprom’, has been found in the sources used for this dossier. [1][2][3]
He goes by the nickname ‘Shchepa’, which dates back to his time in Sterlitamak. According to sources, Shchiptsov’s backers – former SBU officer Gersak and former prosecutor Petrashkin – organised so-called lobbying activities for Shchiptsov in Ukraine. Sources indicate that he is currently in Moldova. Within the Khimprom cartel, Shchiptsov is responsible for organising the supply of precursors and the manufacture of illicit substances.
