Government forces private company into bankruptcy over disputed taxes. Government auctions off plum assets to a bidder who swoops in from nowhere and buys them at a fraction of their value (partially thanks to US courts that prevent US corporations from bidding). Government-owned gas and old conglomerate buys the bidder before the bidder needs to make good on the balance of the $9.3B payment (they did put up a $1.4B nonrefundable deposit).

Sound like plot for a political thriller? Nah, just another day in Putin's Russia.

The kicker? According to an article in the Washington Post, Yuko's is much less likely to prevail in their $20B lawsuit against the eventual owner of the assets now that the owner is the government and has sovereign immunity.