Overview
- Investigative reporting published photos showing BSW MEPs Michael von der Schulenburg and Ruth Firmenich meeting a central figure tied to the pro‑Russian Voice of Europe network in Moscow in May.
- Ruth Firmenich said Oleg Voloshin was a point of contact for scheduling and that his wife, Nadia Sass, helped with Bolshoi Theatre tickets, which she stated she paid for herself.
- The BSW presidency acknowledged it knew of the trip for Victory Day commemorations, said the pair skipped the military parade, and noted outreach to the Ukrainian embassy for talks.
- European security services link Voice of Europe to Viktor Medvedchuk, with Voloshin under U.S. and EU sanctions and facing proceedings cited in the UK and Poland.
- Social media posts by Voloshin and Sass highlighted the encounters and shared images from the visit, including a Bolshoi outing and meetings with Russian officials.