[TigerLikesRooster]

the center of a struggle between competing business and Kremlin clans in Moscow

I suspected as much. Any information on what are the goods in question? It is not about lumber, right?

[AdmSmith]

Most likely not only wood:

Eyebrows were also raised after Russia brought back crew, suspects and investigators from Cape Verde aboard three huge Ilyushin-76 military transport planes when far smaller aircraft would have sufficed.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090827/local/russia-accepts-maltas-request-to-take-part-in-investigations-on-arctic-sea