A: Cyprus Confidential is an investigative report that exposes how financial enablers in Cyprus rushed to assist Russian oligarchs and allies of Putin in shielding their assets from Western sanctions.

A: The investigation spanned over eight months.

A: The report was produced by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a nonprofit newsroom based in Washington, D.C. It involved a global network of journalists and Munich-based Paper Trail Media. More than 270 journalists from across the globe, including 69 media partners, collaborated on this project, working from 54 different locations worldwide.

A: The report is based on 3.6 million leaked files from six financial service providers based in Cyprus, and a Latvian firm that distributes Cypriot corporate registry documents.

A: The ICIJ is a global network of investigative journalists. Its credibility can be subjectively assessed, but it's noteworthy that the ICIJ has been responsible for major investigative stories like the Panama Papers, Paradise Papers, and Pandora Papers. It won a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for the Panama Papers and was a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for the FinCEN Files. Pulitzer Prizes are frequently hailed as the pinnacle of achievement in journalism, symbolizing the highest honor a journalist can attain.

A: While the report covers familiar themes like asset hiding, Russian oligarchs, offshore companies, Cyprus's financial services sector, sanctions violations, and transparency issues, it undeniably brings new elements to light. These include additional Cypriot entities, more Russian oligarchs, and further methods of concealing assets, many of which were sanctioned.

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