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Origin in chaos
Russian Revolution sparks prison gangs -
Vory v Zakone rise
Criminal elite form in Stalin’s prison camps -
Black market boom
Mafia thrives under Soviet corruption -
Bloody empire
Turf wars, extortion and expansion abroad -
USSR falls
Bratva explodes in power and takes over industries -
Global network
Moves into drugs, weapons and cybercrime -
Kremlin ties
Links to politics and Russian intelligence deepen -
Cyber mafia
Ransomware, crypto and silent global power