Russian Foreign Minister’s glamorous ‘secret’ stepdaughter Polina Kovaleva cops British sanctions

Britain has slapped tough new rules on 59 more Russians but a notable name within Russia’s elite has appeared among the list.

Britain targeted Polina Kovaleva, who is the stepdaughter of Russia's Lavrov. Picture: navalny.com/Instagram

Britain has slapped sanctions on 59 more Russians with a notable name appearing among the list.

Targets of the latest asset freeze includes Russian diamond giant Alrosa and shadowy mercenary group Wagner, known as President Vladimir Putin’s “private army”.

But it’s Polina Kovaleva — the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov — that has made headlines.

Lavrov is known to be President Putin’s close ally while Ms Kovaleva is the daughter of his alleged mistress, “actress” Svetlana Polyakova.

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s team allege Lavrov has been living a “double life” for almost two decades.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Picture: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

“A source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters that everyone in the ministry knows that this woman is Lavrov’s wife and almost the most influential person in the Foreign Ministry,” a 2021 report read.

“She can fire someone she doesn’t like. She attends official events. She eventually accompanies Lavrov when he meets with Putin.”

Navalny’s team said Lavrov “lies, steals and spends money on a secret family”.

Major moves against Russia have been announced overnight as NATO, G7 and EU leaders gathered in unprecedented emergency meetings to discuss overhauling the alliance’s eastern defences.

Britain targeted Polina Kovaleva, who is the stepdaughter of Russia's Lavrov. Picture: navalny.com/Instagram

Polina Kovaleva. Picture: navalny.com/Instagram

Ms Kovaleva, 26, lives in London and leads a “glamorous” life according to Maria Pevchikh, head of investigations at Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, in a AU$7million home in Kensington in the city’s ritzy west. She purchased the multimillion-dollar apartment when she was 21, Lavrov’s report read.

But her assets have now been frozen as those associated with President Putin face serious financial consequences in an effort to pressure Russia’s elite.

Activists protested outside her home earlier as the war in Ukraine heightened, brandishing her the “daughter of a war criminal”.

Her Instagram has been deleted but Navalny’s team have been following her activity for years, including accompanying Lavrov on a business trip to Japan in 2017.

Ms Pevchikh tweeted a thread about Ms Kovaleva, saying her life looks like “a non-stop holiday”.

There are also pictures of her at ski resorts in Austria and luxurious locations including the Montenegrin villa of Deripaska.

Who said you cannot solve a problem with a twitter thread? Polina Kovaleva has been sanctioned today. Her glamorous British life is over. This wouldn't have happened without all of you. Without 70k likes, retweets and all of you talking about it. Thank you. https://t.co/UtyvZdIHLN

— Maria Pevchikh (@pevchikh) March 24, 2022

It comes after the daughter of Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, 24-year-old Elizaveta Peskova, was swept up by sanctions earlier this month, telling website Business Insider she was “blindsided” by the move.

“For me, it’s totally unfair and unfounded,” she said. “I was really surprised because it’s weird introducing sanctions [on] someone who is 24 years old and has nothing to do with the situation.”

Alexei Navalny’s team have investigated the life of Polina Kovaleva. Picture: navalny.com/Instagram

The news came ahead of an emergency NATO summit in Brussels where UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson committed to a new package to help Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces.

“Vladimir Putin has already crossed the red line into barbarism,” Mr Johnson said.

“The harder our sanctions, the tougher our economic vice around the Putin regime, the more we can do to help the Ukrainians, I think the faster that this thing can be over,” he said.

The latest measures, against a range of key strategic industries and people, takes to more than 1000 the number of Russian and Belarusian individuals and businesses sanctioned by London in recent weeks.

TOPSHOT - (From R) Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, France's President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden talk as they arrive at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Picture: JOHN THYS / AFP

Britain also targeted six more banks, Russian Railways, the defence company Kronshtadt — the main producer of Russian drones — and diamond giant Alrosa, according to the foreign ministry. Mr Johnson says Britain will send, 6000 missiles and £25 million ($A33 million) in financial aid to Ukraine’s army to help it fight Russian forces.

Lethal defensive military aid, including Starstreak high-velocity anti-air missiles, will “help Ukrainians continue to defend themselves,” Mr Johnson said.

“Vladimir Putin is already failing in Ukraine.”

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the latest round of sanction will hit “oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs complicit in the murder of innocent civilians”.

— with AFP