According to newspaper speculation last week, billionaire Alexander Lebedev, a former lieutenant-colonel in the KGB, approached Daily Mail and General Trust with an offer to buy the newspaper last month.
It has not been disclosed how much he offered for the publication and DMGT is not commenting on the speculation.
The Evening Standard was expected to struggle when News International launched its free evening newspaper thelondonpaper and DMGT itself launched the London Lite.
However, the paper is one of the few newspapers in the UK that has recorded an increase in circulation over the past two years.
According to the Financial Times Lebedev is the owner of a weekly news magazine called Korrespondent and part owner of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta.
Russian ex-KGB man reportedly eyes Evening Standard
News that newspapers are severely struggling in the current climate does not seem to have spread as far as Russia after a former KGB officer allegedly made an approach to buy the Evening Standard.
