Latest news with #Russia-annexed
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Putin-appointed Crimea governor jailed for UK sanctions breach
LONDON (Reuters) - A Russian politician appointed by President Vladimir Putin as governor of Russia-annexed Crimea's largest city was jailed for 40 months on Friday after being found guilty of breaching British sanctions, the first such conviction in Britain. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, – who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in July 2016, two years after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine – was found guilty earlier this week of six counts of circumventing sanctions and two counts of possessing or using criminal property. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a seventh charge of circumventing sanctions. After losing his job as the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in Russia, Ovsiannikov applied to have his EU sanctions lifted and moved to London. He was accused of getting his wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47, to pay 76,000 pounds ($97,000) into his account, some of which was so that he could buy a Mercedes-Benz SUV. Prosecutors said Ovsiannikov then got his 47-year-old brother Alexei Owsjanikow to buy the car and insurance for it, before Owsjanikow later paid just over 41,000 pounds ($53,554) for his brother's children's private school fees. Owsjanikow was convicted of two counts of circumventing sanctions, in relation to the school fees, but was acquitted in relation to the car and insurance. Ovsiannikov's wife was cleared of all charges. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov was jailed for 40 months at London's Southwark Crown Court. His brother was given a 15-month prison term but suspended for 15 months. "Dmitrii Ovsiannikov and his family clearly knew that he was subject to these sanctions and deliberately took steps to circumvent the controls," said Graeme Biggar, Director General of Britain's National Crime Agency. "These convictions demonstrate not only that designated individuals are on our radar, but so are those who enable breaches of the regulations." When Ovsiannikov was charged last year, the National Crime Agency said he was the first person to be charged in Britain with breaching sanctions relating to Russia. ($1 = 0.7656 pounds)
Reuters
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Former Putin-appointed Crimea governor jailed for UK sanctions breach
LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - A Russian politician appointed by President Vladimir Putin as governor of Russia-annexed Crimea's largest city was jailed for 40 months on Friday after being found guilty of breaching British sanctions, the first such conviction in Britain. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, – who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in July 2016, two years after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine – was found guilty earlier this week of six counts of circumventing sanctions and two counts of possessing or using criminal property. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a seventh charge of circumventing sanctions. After losing his job as the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in Russia, Ovsiannikov applied to have his EU sanctions lifted and moved to London. He was accused of getting his wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47, to pay 76,000 pounds ($97,000) into his account, some of which was so that he could buy a Mercedes-Benz SUV. Prosecutors said Ovsiannikov then got his 47-year-old brother Alexei Owsjanikow to buy the car and insurance for it, before Owsjanikow later paid just over 41,000 pounds ($53,554) for his brother's children's private school fees. Owsjanikow was convicted of two counts of circumventing sanctions, in relation to the school fees, but was acquitted in relation to the car and insurance. Ovsiannikov's wife was cleared of all charges. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov was jailed for 40 months at London's Southwark Crown Court. His brother was given a 15-month prison term but suspended for 15 months. "Dmitrii Ovsiannikov and his family clearly knew that he was subject to these sanctions and deliberately took steps to circumvent the controls," said Graeme Biggar, Director General of Britain's National Crime Agency. "These convictions demonstrate not only that designated individuals are on our radar, but so are those who enable breaches of the regulations." When Ovsiannikov was charged last year, the National Crime Agency said he was the first person to be charged in Britain with breaching sanctions relating to Russia.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Putin-appointed governor in Crimea found guilty of breaching UK sanctions
LONDON (Reuters) - A Russian politician appointed by President Vladimir Putin as governor of Russia-annexed Crimea's largest city was on Wednesday found guilty of breaching British sanctions, after the first prosecution of its kind. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov – who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in July 2016, two years after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine – was charged with trying to circumvent sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024. Ovsiannikov was found guilty of six counts of circumventing sanctions and two counts of possessing or using criminal property. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a seventh charge of circumventing sanctions. The 48-year-old, who had denied all the charges, will be sentenced at London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday. Ovsiannikov had been accused of getting his wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47, to pay 76,000 pounds ($97,000) into his account, some of which was so he could buy a Mercedes-Benz SUV. Prosecutors said Ovsiannikov then got his 47-year-old brother Alexei Owsjanikow to buy the car and insurance for it, before Owsjanikow later paid just over 41,000 pounds for his brother's children's private school fees. Owsjanikow and Ovsiannikova faced five and four counts of circumventing sanctions respectively, which they denied. The jury found Owsjanikow guilty of two counts of circumventing sanctions, in relation to the school fees, but he was acquitted in relation to the car and insurance. Ovsiannikova was cleared of all charges. When Ovsiannikov was charged last year, the National Crime Agency said he was the first person to be charged in Britain with breaching sanctions relating to Russia. ($1 = 0.7837 pounds)
Reuters
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Former Putin-appointed governor in Crimea found guilty of breaching UK sanctions
LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - A Russian politician appointed by President Vladimir Putin as governor of Russia-annexed Crimea's largest city was on Wednesday found guilty of breaching British sanctions, after the first prosecution of its kind. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov – who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in July 2016, two years after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine – was charged with trying to circumvent sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024. Ovsiannikov was found guilty of six counts of circumventing sanctions and two counts of possessing or using criminal property. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a seventh charge of circumventing sanctions. The 48-year-old, who had denied all the charges, will be sentenced at London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday. Ovsiannikov had been accused of getting his wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47, to pay 76,000 pounds ($97,000) into his account, some of which was so he could buy a Mercedes-Benz SUV. Prosecutors said Ovsiannikov then got his 47-year-old brother Alexei Owsjanikow to buy the car and insurance for it, before Owsjanikow later paid just over 41,000 pounds for his brother's children's private school fees. Owsjanikow and Ovsiannikova faced five and four counts of circumventing sanctions respectively, which they denied. The jury found Owsjanikow guilty of two counts of circumventing sanctions, in relation to the school fees, but he was acquitted in relation to the car and insurance. Ovsiannikova was cleared of all charges. When Ovsiannikov was charged last year, the National Crime Agency said he was the first person to be charged in Britain with breaching sanctions relating to Russia. ($1 = 0.7837 pounds)
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian children forcibly taken from their families brought home, official says
(Reuters) - Eight Ukrainian children seized from their families by officials in the Russia-annexed and controlled Crimea peninsula and placed in state orphanages returned home on Thursday, a senior Ukrainian official said. Darina Zarivna, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, said the children had been seized while receiving treatment in hospital and were rescued as part of the Bring Kids Back programme. They had been subjected to bullying in an orphanage and forced to take part in pro-Russian patriotism exercises and made to handle weapons and prepare for war, she said. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "Their story is an example of the systemic harshness of the occupiers. They were forcibly taken from their mothers during a hospital stay and (the mothers) were obliged under threat to turn them over to an orphanage," Zarivna wrote on Telegram. "All this is a part of Russian policy aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity." Zarivna gave no details of how the children were rescued or where they were now. There was no immediate comment from Russian authorities. The International Criminal Court issued warrants in 2023 for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges related to the abduction of Ukrainian children. The Kremlin rejects the allegations. Earlier this week, Zelenskiy's chief of Staff, Andriy Yermakov, said 12 children forcibly taken to Russia had returned to Ukraine. Moscow and Kyiv have carried out several exchanges of children for reunification with their families since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 in the aftermath of a popular revolt that prompted a Russia-friendly Ukrainian president to flee the country. Ukraine says over 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians during the war, calling the abductions a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide.
