Britain on Friday sanctioned 12 members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “inner circle”, accusing them of concealing his ill-gotten wealth in exchange for influential state positions.
They included his ex-wife Lyudmila Ocheretnaya and his alleged girlfriend Alina Kabaeva, a 38-year-old former Olympic gymnast.
The British government said it was “accused of having a close personal relationship with Putin”.
“We are exposing and targeting the shady network that underpins Putin’s luxury lifestyle and exacerbating the vice in his inner circle,” Secretary of State Liz Truss said in a statement.
“We will continue with sanctions against all those who support and support Putin’s aggression until Ukraine wins,” she said.
The Kremlin leader’s modest salary and officially declared fortune have been belied by reports linking him to a luxury yacht and a sprawling estate dubbed “Putin’s Palace,” the UK said.
His true wealth is hidden by a network of family, childhood friends and select members of Russia’s elite who have been called to powerful roles “in exchange for their undying loyalty”.
Others sanctioned on Friday included Putin’s cousins and Alexander Plekhov, a “close friend” who owned Vital Development Corp.
Britain said it has now sanctioned more than 1,000 individuals and 100 Russian entities, including oligarchs, worth more than $140 billion since Putin ordered Ukraine to be invaded in late February.
Photo taken November 2004 shows Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking to Alina Kabaeva at a Kremlin banquet in Moscow. ITAR-TASS/AP
The Wall Street Journal reported late last month that US officials held back on sanctions against Kabaeva because the measure was deemed too drastic.
The newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying the 2016 investigation into Russia’s interference in the US presidential election found that Kabaeva benefited from Putin’s influence and personal wealth. The US government suspected Kabaeva of hiding some of that wealth abroad, the Journal reported, adding that American officials also believe she is the mother of at least three of Putin’s children.
However, potential sanctions against Kabaeva were eventually halted as the move was seen as “such a personal blow to Mr. Putin that it could further escalate tensions between Russia and the US,” the Journal wrote.
Rumors about Kabaeva’s personal relationship with the Russian head of state have been circulating for years. Russian tabloids have dubbed her “Russia’s first mistress” and even the “secret first lady.”
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