Russian mafia
Братва (Bratva) | |
| Founding location | Moscow, Russian SFSR |
|---|---|
| Years active | Late 1980s–present |
| Territory | Post-Soviet states, European Union, Israel, United States, Australia |
| Ethnicity | Primarily Russians but also from other Post-Soviet states. |
| Criminal activities | Human trafficking, racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, murder, robbery, smuggling, arms trafficking, gambling, prostitution, pornography, money laundering, fraud, financial crime, terrorism |
| Allies | Serbian mafia, Corsican mafia, Armenian mafia, Belarusian mafia |
| Notable members | List of members |
The Russian mafia (Russian: ру́сская ма́фия, romanized: russkaya mafiya [ˈruskəjə ˈmafʲɪjə] or росси́йская ма́фия, rossiyskaya mafiya [rɐˈsʲijskəjə ˈmafʲɪjə]), also known as bratva (братва́, bratva [brɐtˈva]; lit. 'brothers' clique'), is a collective of various organized crime-related elements originating and operating in Russia. Any of the mafia's groups may be referred to as an "Organized Criminal Group" (OPG, from Russian "организованная преступная группа"). This is sometimes modified to include a specific name, such as the Orekhovskaya OPG. Sometimes, the Russian word is dropped in favour of a full translation, and OCG is used instead of OPG.
In December 2009, Timur Lakhonin, the head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol within Russia, stated that "Certainly, there is crime involving our former compatriots abroad, but there is no data suggesting that an organized structure of criminal groups comprising former Russians exists abroad" on the topic of international Russian criminal gangs. In August 2010, Alain Bauer, a criminologist from France, said that the Russian mafia "is one of the best structured criminal organizations in Europe, with a quasi-military operation" in their international activities. American attorney Louis Freeh, who headed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) between 1993 and 2001, said that the Russian mafia was considered to pose the greatest criminal threat to the United States's nation security in the mid-1990s.
The Russian mafia, according to Mark Galeotti, an expert in modern Russia, is a highly organized and globalized criminal network that emerged and expanded significantly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. In 1993, there were reported to be as many as 5-6,000 groups, with more than 200 of them having a global reach and were operating within nearly 17 cities in 14 U.S. states and other countries worldwide. During this time, Russian criminals sought to establish themselves on the international stage, anticipating political instability and economic collapse in Russia. Their activities initially focused on the illicit trade of goods, such as Afghan heroin, which they transported across Europe to sell to local gangs, rather than directly on the streets. Over the years, many Russian gangsters evolved into skilled intermediaries, working alongside other major criminal organizations, adapting to local markets and focusing on providing services rather than attempting to control entire territories. While the Russian mafia remains focused on profit, their relationship with the state has evolved over time. The Russian government has used criminal networking as a geopolitical tool, leveraging their capabilities for the interests of the state. However, Galeotti emphasizes that the connection between the Russian government and organized crime is not one of direct control, but rather one of pragmatism, with the state setting boundaries for these groups while occasionally enlisting their services. This reflects a broader shift from the 1990s, when the political elite and organized crime were more intertwined, to the present day, where the state is attempting to distance itself from direct associations with criminal groups while still utilizing them when necessary.