Vladimir Putin resurrected the International Investment Bank a few years ago to increase Russia’s influence in Central and Eastern Europe. Hungary has become one of the most active investors of the financial institution.

Ganz won the tender with the backing of a state-owned Hungarian bank, but the deal fell through when the Hungarian government decided to redirect the loan to a group with Russian participation instead.

Our article about Klaus Mangold was our first Russian-related story. We received information from government officials and a foreign source who examined Mangold’s activities on behalf of other investors.

Intelligence operations, huge business deals, and personal ambitions. These are some of the factors that drive Viktor Orbán in pulling his country closer to Russia.

Why did Orbán’s ally had a business meeting with the Russian secret service? Why was it so important for Orbán to buy the Russian stake in Hungary’s oil company? How tough is Putin with his own men? And some more interesting details from our investigation.

The construction of the new Paks nuclear power plant may have not started yet but Rosatom has already been signing project-related contracts for months. Among the Hungarian partners, there is a company that does not even have a website nor a public telephone number.

Klaus Mangold, a German businessman with good connections in Russia, has played a crucial role in the controversial nuclear deal between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Direkt36 investigation has found.