In a landmark ruling, a British court has sentenced a former Russian government official to 40 months in prison for breaching United Kingdom sanctions—marking the first conviction of its kind since such measures were imposed on Moscow.
Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, once a senior Russian official and former mayor of Sevastopol in Crimea, was found guilty earlier this week of six offenses related to sanctions evasion. The violations took place over the span of nearly a year, from February 2023 to January 2024, while Ovsiannikov was residing in the UK.
Previously serving as deputy minister of industry in Russia, Ovsiannikov rose to prominence when he was appointed mayor of Sevastopol in 2016—two years after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. His association with the annexation earned him a place on the European Union’s sanctions list in 2017. The United Kingdom later mirrored these sanctions following Brexit.
Although the EU lifted its sanctions against him in early 2023, the UK maintained its restrictions, which included barring him from entering British territory and freezing any assets or financial access in the country.
Despite being subject to these sanctions, Ovsiannikov managed to enter the UK in February 2023 by obtaining a British passport. He reportedly qualified for it based on his father’s UK citizenship and traveled through Turkey to join his wife and children who were already living in Britain.
Investigators revealed that once in the UK, he opened a domestic bank account, received close to £80,000 from his wife, and accepted a car from his brother. These actions were in direct violation of the sanctions regime. The financial account was later flagged and frozen by the bank after identifying his name on the UK sanctions list.
The case was heard at Southwark Crown Court in London, where the presiding judge, Sara Cockerill, emphasized the seriousness of the breaches. Ovsiannikov is expected to serve half of his sentence behind bars before being eligible for release on license.
His younger brother, Alexei Owsjanikow, aged 47, was also implicated in the case and found guilty of two offenses for aiding in the evasion of sanctions. He had paid over £40,000 in school fees for Ovsiannikov’s children. However, he was cleared of several other charges, including arranging car insurance and purchasing a vehicle.
Ovsiannikov’s wife, Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, was also charged but was acquitted of all wrongdoing.
This case highlights the UK government’s stringent enforcement of its sanctions policy, especially in relation to individuals linked to the Russian leadership. Under UK law, breaches of sanctions can carry a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment. The conviction underscores Britain’s continued effort to uphold its legal commitments and to deter the misus
