The British government in London has imposed targeted sanctions on the former wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other relatives and close allies.
“We are uncovering the shady network that enables Putin’s luxurious lifestyle and tightening the screws around his inner circle,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement on Friday. According to the British Foreign Office, Putin is supported by a “cabal of friends, family and elites” while his official fortune is modest.
An updated list of the British sanctions list now includes the Russian president’s alleged lover, former rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, alongside ex-wife Lyudmila Ocheretnaya. Both were subject to entry bans and asset freezes.
There are good reasons to believe that Ocheretnaja is connected to persons linked to a destabilization of Ukraine or a threat to its territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence, it said.
As the chairman of the supervisory board of the state-run National Media Group, Kabaeva has been accused of being directly involved in the destabilization of Ukraine.
Also new to the list are cousins Roman and Igor Putin, and Mikhail Shelomov, a cousin of Putin who, according to British sources, holds shares in Rossiya Bank, which in turn is a major shareholder in the National Media Group.
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