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
-
Court jails man seven years for cocoa smuggling
2 mins -
Poor driving behaviour contributes to air pollution – Experts
5 mins -
Ejisu by-election: Manipulation of electorates will take place the night before the polls – Dr Asah-Asante
10 mins -
We don’t help candidates win elections – EC
18 mins -
Ejisu by-election: NPP will win with a clear margin – Nana B
29 mins -
Ejisu by-election: Police will be heavily present to maintain law and order – EC
37 mins -
3 confirmed dead in Ejisu-Konongo Highway collision, 1 injured
2 hours -
Fatawu Issahaku gets assist as Leicester City beat Preston to win Championship title
3 hours -
Child’s right advocate criticises state’s handling of ‘victim’ in alleged child marriage case
3 hours -
NPP has created 2.1m jobs in seven years – Bawumia
3 hours -
Akosombo Dam spillage: We’re considering a class action suit against government – Ablakwa
3 hours -
Government offers teacher unions about 70% increment in continuous professional development allowance
3 hours -
Everyone must show interest in depleting pension funds – Pensions Expert
3 hours -
African Business Heroes: African SMEs ready to compete for a share of $1.5m grant
4 hours -
My government will partner with faith-based groups in development – Bawumia
4 hours