Sergey Lavrov’s Stepdaughter Sanctioned After Luxury London Life Exposed

The Russian Foreign Minister’s stepdaughter has been sanctioned by the UK government after allegations of her lavish lifestyle in London were revealed by a Russian pro-democracy activist.

Polina Kovaleva was caught up in a new batch  of UK government sanctions announced against Russian businesses, banks and business elites on Thursday.

Kovaleva, the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, has been under scrutiny since the invasion of Ukraine began.

A Twitter thread from Maria Pevchikh, head of investigations at Russian opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, claimed Kovaleva, now 26, bought a flat in London’s elite district of Kensington for £4.4 million with cash when she was 21. 

The Imperial College London graduate’s Instagram feed was a “non-stop holiday” between luxury villas, it said.

Her stepfather, a loyal henchman of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been a key figure spreading disinformation about the invasion of Ukraine. He has also been a critic of Western liberalism and decadence, even while Kovaleva has enjoyed the most luxurious spots of Western Europe.

Lavrov allegedly started a relationship with Kovaleva’s mother, Svetlana Polyakova, in the early 2000s, despite already having a family with his wife, Maria Lavrova. Polyakova has since become very wealthy, owning an apartment in Moscow worth £5.5 million and some luxury cars.

The UK government said sanctioning Kovaleva “sends a strong signal that those benefiting from association of those responsible for Russian aggression are in scope of our sanctions.”

The UK announced 65 more sanctions on banks, industries and individuals, including Russian Railways, defence company Kronshtadt, and the Wagner group, the organisation of Russian mercenaries reportedly tasked with assassinating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The total global asset value of the banks the UK has sanctioned since the invasion now stands at £500 billion. The net worth of the oligarchs and family members sanctioned is in excess of £150bn.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “These oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs are complicit in the murder of innocent civilians and it is right that they pay the price. Putin should be under no illusions – we are united with our allies and will keep tightening the screw on the Russian economy to help ensure he fails in Ukraine. There will be no let-up.”