Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

Ukraine war: UK adds Putin's former wife to sanctions list

Ukraine war: UK adds Putin's former wife to sanctions list

The UK has imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin's former wife and his alleged current girlfriend over the invasion of Ukraine.

Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, who was married to the president until 2014, and former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, face UK travel bans and asset freezes.

The UK has now placed more than 1,000 people on its Russian sanctions list.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Britain was "tightening the vice" on Mr Putin's "inner circle".

The UK was "exposing and targeting the shady network propping up Putin's luxury lifestyle", she said, and would "keep going with sanctions on all those aiding and abetting Putin's aggression until Ukraine prevails".

Ms Truss said sanctions against Russia should only be lifted when all of its troops had left Ukraine.

Earlier, she told a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Germany that allies should go "further and faster" in supporting Ukraine's resistance.

She said President Putin must face a defeat that prevents further aggression - but some analysts have warned this stance may make a political settlement harder.

Earlier this month it was reported that the EU planned to sanction more Russian individuals, including Ms Kabaeva.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, thousands of civilians and combatants have been killed or injured, and some 14 million people have fled their homes, with more than six million seeking refuge abroad.

Since her divorce, Lyudmila Ocheretnaya has benefited from preferential business relationships with state-owned entities and exhibited significant unexplained wealth, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) says.

She is a close associate of Mr Putin and obtains a financial or material benefit from this association, it adds.

Ms Kabaeva is a former Russian MP and chair of the board of directors of the National Media Group, which is reportedly the largest private Russian media company, the FCDO says.

Mr Putin and Ms Kabaeva at a ceremony in 2001


It notes that the National Media Group controls television stations including Channel One, which is already under sanctions.

"She is also rumoured to be the current partner of Putin and it is reported that he has tried to reduce her visibility since the invasion began," the FCDO says.

"For example, a couple of weeks after the invasion, the National Media Group website was updated to remove her name, along with any reference to the board of directors."

Russia's leader has explicitly denied having a relationship with Ms Kabaeva.

Among others added to the UK sanctions list are Ms Kabaeva's grandmother, Anna Zatseplina, and cousins of Mr Putin.

An asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. A travel ban means the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the UK.

The UK foreign secretary has been among the most outspoken of UK ministers in setting out explicit aims relating to the conflict, saying in a speech last month that Russia should be pushed out of "the whole of Ukraine".

Some foreign policy analysts have raised concerns that such specific demands might one day clash with Ukraine's interests and could make negotiations harder.

Ukrainian and Moldovan foreign ministers are expected to join G7 ministers at another meeting in Germany on Friday.

On Saturday, Ms Truss is due to travel to Berlin for a meeting of Nato foreign ministers, where the FCDO says she will push for a "strengthened and modernised" version of the western alliance.

Comments

Oh ya 4 year ago
Maybe Ukraine would like to explain the instant wealth of their president, from actor to billionaire in 2 years? Waiting.....

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
As Trump Deepens Ties with Saudi Arabia, Push for Israel Normalization Takes a Back Seat
Thai Food Village Debuts at Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025 Under Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee’s Lead
Saudi Arabia Sharpens Its Strategic Vision as Economic Transformation Enters New Phase
Saudi Arabia Projects $44 Billion Budget Shortfall in 2026 as Economy Rebalances
OPEC+ Unveils New Capacity-Based System to Anchor Future Oil Output Levels
Hong Kong Residents Mourn Victims as 1,500 People Relocated After Devastating Tower Fire
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
Saudi-Portuguese Economic Horizons Expand Through Strategic Business Council
DHL Commits $150 Million for Landmark Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco Weighs Disposals Amid $10 Billion-Plus Asset Sales Discussion
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince for Major Defence and Investment Agreements
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
Riyadh Metro Records Over One Hundred Million Journeys as Saudi Capital Accelerates Transit Era
Trump’s Grand Saudi Welcome Highlights U.S.–Riyadh Pivot as Israel Watches Warily
U.S. Set to Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia in Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership in Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
Lawmaker Seeks Declassification of ‘Shocking’ 2019 Call Between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince
US and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defence Pact Featuring F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion Investment Pledge
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Emerges as Key Contender in Warner Bros. Discovery Sale
Trump Secures Sweeping U.S.–Saudi Agreements on Jets, Technology and Massive Investment
Detroit CEOs Join White House Dinner as U.S.–Saudi Auto Deal Accelerates
Netanyahu Secures U.S. Assurance That Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Will Remain Despite Saudi F-35 Deal
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
×