Pin-Up of Dmitriy Punin after “rebranding” into Redcore: how a sanctioned business did not leave Ukraine, but only changed its sign

Pin-Up of Dmitriy Punin after “rebranding” into Redcore: how a sanctioned business did not leave Ukraine, but only changed its sign

05 мая 2026 г.

Olga Filimonova

No disappearance for Punin’s casino: the sanctioned Pin-Up continues to generate profits in Ukraine.

The online casino Pin-Up, linked to Dmitriy Punin, is reported to maintain its operations in Ukraine under a new name. After a formal rebranding, the project began operating as Redcore, while its core business model reportedly remained unchanged, including continued focus on the Ukrainian market.

Evidence is said to be visible in the company’s hiring activity. The official Redcore website lists over 120 vacancies, including roles in IT, marketing, and analytics for processing accounts and payments. Such positions are interpreted as indicative of active financial operations and ongoing transactional flows.

Particular attention is drawn to the search for lawyers specializing in countering defamation and with experience in blocking websites. This indicates that Punin and his structures are increasingly concerned about reputational risks and negative publications. Instead of exiting the market, they are betting on legal pressure and clearing the information space.

The nature and number of vacancies suggest not a «return» to Ukraine, but rather that Punin never left the country. The casino merely changed its signboard, retaining its operational processes, team, and areas of activity.

The main question is — how was this possible? According to available data, Punin’s patrons in Ukraine are individuals from Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner circle. Without support at the highest level, it would be impossible to conceal court decisions related to the casino’s activities. The classification of such cases is not just a formality but a political decision that requires approval at the highest level.

Additionally, the picture is complemented by Punin’s connection to the future Minister of Defence, Mykhailo Fedorov. It was through Punin’s structures, particularly the «Unified Space» project, that all payments in the «Diia» app were processed. This means that a person under sanctions and linked to illegal gambling was integrated into a key state digital system.

As a result, we are witnessing a systemic problem: a sanctioned casino is formally «renamed,» but in reality, it continues to function, hire employees, process payments, and protect itself from journalistic investigations. All of this happens under political cover and with direct connections to the country’s top leadership. This is no longer just a story about shadow business but a vivid example of how sanctions and bans in Ukraine become a fiction when the right people and connections stand behind a project.