Latest news with #DmitryMazepin
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Oliver Oakes resigned as Alpine F1 boss days after brother was arrested for ‘transferring criminal property'
Oliver Oakes resigned as Alpine F1 team principal on Tuesday night just days after his brother was arrested, it has been revealed. William Oakes, a fellow director at junior team Hitech Grand Prix, was arrested in Silverstone Park last Thursday and charged with 'transferring criminal property' a day later. Police state the 31-year-old was in 'possession of a large amount of cash.' The police statement adds that he has been remanded in custody, having appeared before Northampton Magistrates Court on Saturday. Oliver Oakes, who is not accused of any wrongdoing or links to the arrest of William Oakes, joined Alpine from Hitech last summer. He resigned on Tuesday night – one day before the team changed their driver line-up, with Jack Doohan dropped for Franco Colapinto. The report in The Telegraph details that ex-Alpine boss Oakes flew to Dubai from the Miami Grand Prix last weekend, but his current whereabouts are unknown. A statement from the Metropolitan Police read: 'William Oakes, 31, of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday, May 2 after he was stopped in the Silverstone Park area in Northamptonshire on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in possession of a large amount of cash. 'He appeared before Northampton Magistrates' Court on Saturday, May 3, and remanded in custody.' The Independent has approached Hitech Grand Prix for further comment. In 2022, Hitech Grand Prix was 75 per cent owned by Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin, who has close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Mazepin initially bought a stake in 2016 when his son, Nikita, joined the team to compete in Formula 3. Oliver Oakes took full ownership of the team nine days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, forming a new company – Hitech Global Holdings Ltd – on 11 March 2022 to take control of shares from Mazepin's Cyprus-based company Bergton Management Ltd. Hitech Global Holdings Ltd was formed three days after the Mazepins were sanctioned by both the UK government and the European Union. Nikita Mazepin, who was a Haas F1 driver at the time of the invasion, was sacked by the team before the start of the 2022 season. Haas also ditched their Mazepin-owned title sponsor, Uralkali. Nikita Mazepin has since been cleared to return to competitive racing after a ban was overturned by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Meanwhile, an assumed disagreement between Oakes and Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore over the driver swap was denied, in a joint statement on Wednesday. A statement attributed to Oakes read: 'It's been a privilege to lead everyone at Enstone, what a team, what a place. 'It is a personal decision for me to step down. Flavio has been like a father to me, nothing but supportive since I took the role, as well as giving me the opportunity. Everyone is in place for 2026 and where this dream deserves to be. 'I believe in Enstone.' Briatore added: 'Me and Oli have a very good relationship and had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together. 'We respect Oli's request to resign and have therefore accepted his resignation. The reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hungary demands EU sanctions against several Russian oligarchs be lifted
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has said that Hungary has demanded that EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov, Dmitry Mazepin and Mikhail Fridman be lifted. Source: European Pravda, citing Szijjártó's interview with RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet Quote: "We took the initiative to remove nine people from the EU sanctions lists. Among them was the person you mentioned [Fridman – ed.], Usmanov and Mazepin were among them, too. That is, people who, in our opinion, should not actually be on the list, from a legal point of view." Details: He emphasised that this referred to nine Russian nationals, and Hungary managed to remove three people, including Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, from the sanctions list. Szijjártó also added that Dmitry Mazepin had not been removed from the list, and his son Nikita Mazepin had been removed even earlier on the basis of a court decision. Background: The Financial Times wrote that the EU is losing patience with Hungary and wants to strip it of its voting Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia imports chemicals from fertilizer companies to evade sanctions, Bloomberg reports
Russian is importing large quantities of chemicals for manufacturing explosives by purchasing products from fertilizer companies that have avoided international sanctions lists, Bloomberg reported on March 26. Western countries imposed wide-reaching restrictions on the Russian defense industry following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but Russia continues to import key components and supplies for weapons production through sanctions evasion schemes. The Russian explosives manufacturer JSC Spetskhimiya has placed orders for tens of thousands of tons of nitric acid and a nitric-sulphuric-acid mix, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. The chemicals are essential for the production of TNT, gunpowder, and other explosives the Russian military uses in its war against Ukraine. JSC Spetskhimiya ordered the chemicals from subsidiaries EuroChem Group AG and UralChem JSC, fertilizer companies that are not subject to strict U.S. and EU sanctions due to their importance to global food security. Many of the 11 Russian plants scheduled to receive the chemical supplies have been sanctioned for their role in Moscow's war effort. The EU imposed sanctions on JSC Spetskhimiya in June 2024. The chemical orders appear to have been confirmed and will arrive in Russia over the course of 2025, documents reviewed by Bloomberg show. The volume of nitric acid being shipped would allow Russia to manufacture at least 6,500 152-mm artillery shells per day this year. "Our products are intended for use in agriculture and civil industry," EuroChem said in comments emailed to Bloomberg. "The company is not part of the defense sector of the Russian economy." Both EuroChem and UralChem have ties to sanctioned Russian billionaires. The family of Belarusian-Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin controls UralChem, while EuroChem was founded by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. Melnichenko withdrew as a beneficiary from a EuroChem trust after being sanctioned by the U.S., U.K., and EU. Russia provides approximately 25% of Europe's fertilizer, a trade that has amounted to $5.4 billion since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to European Commission data. Read also: We asked Ukrainian soldiers if they'd fight Russia 'with their bare hands' We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Euronews
14-03-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Hungary drops veto and agrees to prolong EU sanctions on Russia
Hungary has agreed to drop its veto and allow the renewal of the sanctions that the European Union has imposed on more than 2,400 individuals and entities, mainly from Russia, in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The resolution happened on Friday, less than 48 hours before the measures were set to expire, a risky deadlock that had put the bloc in a situation of extraordinary suspense. Sanctions have to be renewed every six months by unanimity, meaning one member state can single-handedly derail the entire process. Hungary's veto was confirmed several times this week in meetings between ambassadors, with unsuccessful attempts on Monday, Wednesday and, most recently, Thursday afternoon. Each failure sent the clock ticking on. Budapest demanded several names be removed from the blacklist, several diplomats told Euronews. The names were not made public, but Radio Free Europe previously reported the identity of seven oligarchs, including Mikhail Fridman and Dmitry Mazepin, and Russia's sports minister as part of the request. Following intense discussions behind the scenes, a compromise was eventually reached to release fewer names than the eight Hungary wanted. As a result, the prolongation for another six months was approved on Friday morning. The sanctions were set to expire by midnight on Saturday. The saga marks the second time in three months that Viktor Orbán's government has put Brussels on edge by threatening to undo the sanctions regime that the bloc has painstakingly built since February 2022. In January, it took exception to sectoral sections, which cover sweeping bans on oil, coal, technology, finance, luxury goods, transport and broadcasting, and the freezing of €210 billion in assets from Russia's Central Bank. Budapest relented after obtaining a non-binding statement on energy security. This time, it set its sights on the blacklist that includes hundreds of military commanders, government officials, oligarchs, propagandists and Wagner Group mercenaries, all of whom are subject to an asset freeze and a travel ban. President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, are designated. The blacklist also targets hundreds of Russian companies in the military, banking, transport, energy, diamond, aviation, IT, telecoms and media sectors. Hungary argues that Donald Trump's inauguration as US president and his efforts to strike a peace deal merit a rethink of EU support for Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia. The stance is not shared by other member states, who believe pressure on Moscow should continue for the duration of the war. They also want to pursue a "peace through strength" strategy to reinforce Ukraine's standing in the negotiations and establish the country's armed forces as an effective, long-lasting security guarantee. Orbán disagrees with the "peace through strength" mantra and last week prevented the adoption of joint conclusions on Ukraine at the end of a special EU summit, forcing his fellow leaders to release an attached "extract" signed off by 26. "Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine," said António Costa, the president of the European Council. "That means that Hungary is isolated among the 27. We respect Hungary's position, but it's one out of 27. And 26 are more than one." Leaving the summit, Orbán replied: "The European Union has isolated itself from the US, isolated itself from China because of the trade war, and isolated itself from Russia because of the sanction policy. So if someone is isolated here, it's the European Union." The stark political divergence played out during the talks among ambassadors, with Hungary managing to block the roll-over on at least three separate occasions this week. The veto happened the same week that US and Ukrainian officials announced significant progress in their negotiations, easing tensions between both sides. Ukraine said it was ready to implement an interim 30-day ceasefire provided Russia reciprocated, while the US agreed to immediately lift the suspension on military assistance and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, which caused consternation in Brussels. "Ball is in Russia's court," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In response, Vladimir Putin said he was in favour of the proposal but asked for certain "nuances" to be clarified before committing himself. Putin heavily implied that Ukraine should stop receiving Western weaponry for the duration of the ceasefire. The European Commission has confirmed that it is already working on a 17th package of sanctions against Russia. Earlier this week, the EU launched import duties on €26 billion worth of American goods to respond to the US's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trump responded to the EU countermeasures by threatening to impose a 200 percent tariffs on all wines, champagne and alcoholic products from France and other EU countries. So what to expect from a trade war that appears to have already started? Radio Schuman talks to Euronews's trade reporter Peggy Corlin about the EU's response to Trump's tariffs and how the bloc could upscale its resistance with its anti-coercion instrument. Today Radio Schuman also discusses how employees of small and medium enterprises in the EU, who are also the hardest working in business, approach their working days. Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with audio editing by David Brodheim. Music by Alexandre Jas.
Euronews
13-03-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Race against time to make Hungary renew EU sanctions before deadline
European Union countries are in a race against time to convince Hungary to renew the sanctions that the European Union has imposed on more than 2,400 individuals and entities, mainly from Russia, in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions need to be renewed every six months by unanimity. The veto has played out throughout the week in meetings between ambassadors. After unsuccessful attempts on Monday and Wednesday, envoys gathered again on Thursday, hoping a breakthrough could be found. But this was not the case. Hungary has demanded several names be removed from the blacklist, several diplomats told Euronews. The names have not been made public. Radio Free Europe previouslyreported the identity of seven oligarchs, including Mikhail Fridman and Dmitry Mazepin, and Russia's sports minister as part of Hungary's request. The deadlock puts the bloc in a situation of extraordinary suspense: the sanctions are set to expire at 23:59 CET on Saturday and there is no immediate Plan B to replace them. Ambassadors are scheduled to meet on Friday morning, although another attempt before then is not ruled out, given the pace at which the clock is ticking. "We are working full steam on Plan A," said a diplomat with knowledge of the process. "There's still time for Plan A to materialise. I wouldn't like to engage in speculation." "I keep my fingers crossed for a successful outcome," the diplomat added. The saga marks the second time in three months that Viktor Orbán's government has put Brussels on edge by threatening to undo the sanctions regime that the bloc has painstakingly built since February 2022. In January, it took exception to sectoral sections, which cover sweeping bans on oil, coal, technology, finance, luxury goods, transport and broadcasting, and the freezing of €210 billion in assets from Russia's Central Bank. Budapest eventually relented. This time, it set its sights on the blacklist that includes hundreds of military commanders, government officials, oligarchs, propagandists and Wagner Group mercenaries, as well as President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, among others. The blacklist also targets hundreds of Russian companies in the military, banking, transport, energy, diamond, aviation, IT, telecoms and media sectors. Hungary argues that Donald Trump's inauguration as US president and his efforts to strike a peace deal merit a rethink of EU support for Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia. The position is not shared by other member states, who believe pressure on Moscow should continue for the duration of the war. They also want to pursue a "peace through strength" strategy to reinforce Ukraine's standing in the negotiations and establish the country's armed forces as an effective security guarantee. Orbán disagrees with the "peace through strength" mantra and last week prevented the adoption of joint conclusions on Ukraine at the end of a special EU summit, forcing his fellow leaders to release an attached "extract" signed off by 26. "Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine," said António Costa, the president of the European Council. "That means that Hungary is isolated among the 27. We respect Hungary's position, but it's one out of 27. And 26 are more than one." The stark political divergence played out during the talks among ambassadors, with Hungary managing to block the roll-over on at least three separate occasions this week. The veto comes two days after US and Ukrainian officials announced significant progress in their negotiations, easing tensions between both sides. Ukraine said it was ready to implement an interim 30-day ceasefire provided Russia reciprocated, while the US agreed to immediately lift the suspension on military assistance and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, which caused consternation in Brussels. "Ball is in Russia's court," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In response, Vladimir Putin asked for certain "nuances" to be clarified, such as how the ceasefire would be monitored on the ground, before committing to the proposal. The European Commission confirmed on Thursday that it was already working on a 17th package of sanctions against Russia.
