A former Russian minister and best friend of President Vladimir Putin was once sentenced Friday to 40 months in jail via a British court docket for breaching U.Okay. sanctions — the primary conviction of its sort.
Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, was once discovered to blame previous this week of six counts of sanctions evasion associated with his position in Russian-occupied Crimea. The breaches befell between February 2023 and January 2024.
Ovsiannikov served as deputy trade minister in Moscow and was once appointed mayor of Sevastopol, Crimea’s greatest town, in 2016, two years after Russia illegally annexed the peninsula from Ukraine.
He was once sanctioned via the EU in 2017 — restrictions later reflected via the U.Okay. after Brexit. Whilst the EU lifted its sanctions in February 2023, U.Okay. sanctions stay in pressure, barring him from getting into the rustic or having access to price range there.
Regardless of the ban, Ovsiannikov traveled from Russia to Turkey in 2022 and effectively carried out for a British passport — mentioning his father’s U.Okay. start — earlier than getting into the rustic in February 2023 to enroll in his spouse and two youngsters.
He was once discovered to have violated sanctions via opening a U.Okay. checking account, receiving just about 80,000 kilos ($100,000) from his spouse and accepting a automobile from his brother. The account was once later frozen when the financial institution flagged his identify at the U.Okay. sanctions checklist.
At London’s Southwark Crown Court docket, Pass judgement on Sara Cockerill mentioned Ovsiannikov will serve as much as part his sentence in custody earlier than being launched on license.
His brother, Alexei Owsjanikow, 47, was once convicted of 2 counts of enabling a breach of sanctions after paying greater than 40,000 kilos at school charges for Ovsiannikov’s youngsters. He was once acquitted on 3 different fees, together with arranging automobile insurance coverage and buying a Mercedes-Benz.
Ovsiannikov’s spouse, Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47, was once cleared of all fees.
The utmost penalty for breaching U.Okay. sanctions on Russia is seven years in jail.
