The UK sanctioned Polina Kovaleva, stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who owns a luxury £4 million ($5 million) property in London.
The blacklisting was announced Thursday by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as part of a range of new sanctions targeting Russian elites, banks and businesses.
The announcement confirms reporting by Maria Pevchikh, an investigator at jailed Russian opposition leader Alexander Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.
In a recent Twitter thread said that Lavrov had a second family, and that his stepdaughter, Kovaleva, enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in the West.
I would like you to meet Polina Kovaleva. Polina is a 26-year-old glamorous Russian girl from London🇬🇧. She lives in a huge apartment in Kensington and loves to party, her instagram feed looks like a non-stop holiday. That’s not unheard of, but there is one small detail…(THREAD) pic.twitter.com/6OsVGjPxQQ
— Maria Pevchikh (@pevchikh) March 10, 2022
Kovaleva, 26, owns a lavish apartment in Kensington, one of the most expensive parts of London.
Per Pevchikh, she is reportedly the daughter of Svetlana Polyakova, 51, Lavrov's longterm partner. UK property records show that Kovaleva bought the Kensington property with no mortgage in 2016, aged 21.
The UK Foreign Office said its sanctioning "sends a strong signal that those benefiting from association of those responsible for Russian aggression are in scope of our sanctions."
The sanctions mean that Kovaleva's assets in the UK have been frozen, and she is banned from travelling to the UK.
UK lawmakers had called for Kovaleva to be sanctioned ahead of the announcement, reported The Guardian.
Lavrov is a longtime member of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, and has fiercely defended Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. He has already been sanctioned by the US and other Western countries.
Sanctioning the children and other family members of top Russian officials has been a striking feature of the response to the war in Ukraine, apparently designed to make sure the measures take a personal toll on decision-makers. They may also be meant to stop sanctions evasion by allowing people to access assets held by family members.
On March 11, the US sanctioned Elizaveta Peskova, the daughter of Putin Dmitry Peskov. Peskova in an interview with Insider said the sanctions had ruined her travel plans and called them "totally unfair and unfounded."
Latest Stories
-
Kurt Okraku took out my passport from the U23 squad that travelled to Japan – Najeeb Yakubu alleges
3 mins -
Where hope fails: Ghana’s decaying home for the destitute
13 mins -
NDC Mining Committee for 2024 campaign refutes allegations of recruiting thugs for elections
23 mins -
Traction Control: A lifesaver with an off switch? Here’s why it exists
27 mins -
I don’t need anyman to woo me with money – Miss Malaika 2024 winner refutes pimping claims
34 mins -
”Kurt Okraku sabotaged my national team career because I refused to sign with Dreams FC” – Najeeb Yakubu
34 mins -
Businesses urged to leverage Generative AI for enhanced customer engagement
38 mins -
MultiChoice Ghana partners with Ghana Hotels Association to elevate guest entertainment
47 mins -
Bawumia’s music streaming app or Mahama’s pay-per-view TV channel?
52 mins -
Karpowership Ghana empowers 40 Takoradi Technical University students with scholarship
54 mins -
We expect significant reduction in prices of petroleum products in coming weeks – CEO AOMC
1 hour -
Betway Africa offers once-in-a-lifetime ‘Play-on-the-Pitch’ experience at Emirates Stadium
1 hour -
I coined the term ‘hype man’ in Ghana – Merqury Quaye
1 hour -
Vasseur questions ‘strange momentum’ of Formula One race director change
2 hours -
“I am disappointed in Kojo Manuel” – Merqury Quaye on “no tie” comment
2 hours