Mkrtich Okroyan is a Russian billionaire of Armenian origin. He lives in Russia and runs the company that manufactures engines for cruise missiles, combat aircraft, and other weapon systems for the regime of President Vladimir Putin.

The company’s name is Soyuz and – beware – it’s a not state enterprise but a private entity owned by Okroyan. He controls Soyuz via the Cypriot offshore firm Chanowy Services Limited (36%), his wife (13%), daughter (15%), and other family members. 

Information about Mkrtich Okroyan is scarce on the internet as he has carefully avoided publicity, but the investigative team of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has unearthed many facts about his occupation and properties. 

Soyuz engines power a wide range of Russian missiles – X-555, Х-101, X-55, Х-35, Х-65, and others. X-555, for example, is a six-meter long, 1.5-ton cruise missile used in the destruction of multi-story residential buildings in Ukrainian cities since February 2022.

A Russian cruise missile X-555 being uploaded onto a bomber. Credit: Navalny.com

Soyuz also provides for missile repair and maintenance services to the Russian army, according to the Navalny investigators. The documents they obtained also show that the company has partnerships with the Tactical Missile Weapons, a state-run corporation, Rostech, a Kremlin-controlled producer of military electronics, and other defense industries. 

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Another company, called BLMZ, produces mechanical parts for Russian war helicopters such as Ka-52 “Alligator” and Mi-28N, which are heavily used in Ukraine.