In order to get the big picture here you have to understand what the NYT is not telling you about some of the players in the background.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Browder
Browder’s Hermitage Capital Management was taking full advantage of “investing” in Russia’s privatization of its economy, which put Hermitage in the company of some very “interesting” people from all over the globe. Browder is from a Chicago family of Jewish decent, and his grandfather was a communist.
From Forbes.com:
More on Bill Browder and Russia.