Polina Kovaleva, who reportedly owns a £4m pad in Kensington, is one of 65 new sanctions targets – alongside the feared Wagner Group, which has been tasked with assassinating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Polina Kovaleva, 26, has been revealed as the stepdaughter of top Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov (
Image: pevchikh/Twitter)
Vladimir Putin’s private army and a Russian Instagram star whose stepfather is the Kremlin’s foreign minister were the latest to be hit by British sanctions today.
The paramilitary Wagner Group and Polina Kovaleva, a student who reportedly owns a £4million property in London, were targeted by the Foreign Office.
The feared Wagner Group, which has operated in Syria and Africa, has been tasked with assassinating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It was among 65 sanctions unveiled today, targeting strategic industries, banks and business elites.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “These oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs are complicit in the murder of innocent civilians and it is right that they pay the price.
“Putin should be under no illusions – we are united with our allies and will keep tightening the screw on the Russian economy to help ensure he fails in Ukraine. There will be no let-up.”
Polina Kovaleva pictured playing tennis
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Image:
pevchikh/Twitter)
Her Instagram feed was described as a “non-stop holiday” before her accounts were deleted
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Image:
pevchikh/Twitter)
Campaigners said earlier this month that the stepdaughter of Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov had been living a life of luxury at a £4million flat in Kensington, London.
They called for Kovaleva, 26, to be sanctioned after it emerged she was based at the sumptuous west London pad.
The Foreign Office today described her as the “‘stepdaughter’ of Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov” who “reportedly owns a c.£4m property in London”.
The Foreign Office added: “This sends a strong signal that those benefiting from association of those responsible for Russian aggression are in scope of our sanctions.”
10 of the key individuals and businesses sanctioned today, according to the Foreign Office
1. ALFA-BANK JSC (Alfa-Bank), the largest of the private banks in Russia and is based in Moscow. Alfa-Bank ranks among the top 10 largest banks in terms of capital in Russia and Ukraine. It is a distinct entity to distinct from Alfa-Bank (Ukraine) which has not been sanctioned.
2. Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond mining company specializing in exploration, mining, manufacture, and sale of diamonds. It is headquartered in Mirny, Russia and its market capitalization is reported as an estimated £4.69bn.
3. Eugene Markovich Shvidler, is a billionaire businessman with close business links to Roman Abramovich (designated by the UK on 10 March 2022). His net worth is reported as an estimated £1.2 billion.
4. Oleg Tinkov, founder of Tinkoff Bank. His net worth is reported as an estimated £3.4 billion.
5. Herman Gref, Chief Executive Officer of Sberbank, the largest Russian bank. Gref is a close advisor of President Putin since they started working together in the St Petersburg Government in the 1990s. He served as Putin’s Minister of Economic Development and Trade between 2000 and 2007, before taking over at Sberbank.
6. Oleg E Aksyutin, the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board at Gazprom PJSC, the Russian multinational energy corporation.
7. Didier Casimiro, the First Vice President of Rosneft, the Russian State oil company.
8. Zeljko Runje, the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and First Vice President for Oil, Gas, and Offshore Business Development of Rosneft
9. Galina Danilchenko – installed as ‘mayor’ of Melitopol by Russian authorities after their military occupied the city and kidnapped the legitimate mayor. This is the first designation by any partner country for collaboration with the Russian military in Ukraine since the invasion.
10. Polina Kovaleva – ‘stepdaughter’ of Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov. She reportedly owns a c.£4m property in London. This sends a strong signal that those benefiting from association of those responsible for Russian aggression are in scope of our sanctions.
This breaking news story is being updated.
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https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-uk-sanctions-russian-ministers-26544258
