INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A former Russian minister and ally of President Vladimir Putin was sentenced Friday to 40 months in prison by a British court for breaching
related to his role in Russian-occupied Crimea
The breaches occurred between February 2023 and January 2024.Ovsiannikov served as deputy industry minister in Moscow and was appointed
While the EU lifted its sanctions in February 2023, U.K
sanctions remain in force, barring him from entering the country or accessing funds there.Despite the ban, Ovsiannikov traveled from Russia
bank account, receiving nearly 80,000 pounds ($100,000) from his wife and accepting a car from his brother
The account was later frozen when the bank flagged his name on the U.K
being released on license.His brother, Alexei Owsjanikow, 47, was convicted of two counts of enabling a breach of sanctions after paying
Ovsiannikova, 47, was cleared of all charges.The maximum penalty for breaching U.K
sanctions on Russia is seven years in prison.
