Former Russian Minister Sentenced to 40 Months for Breaching UK Sanctions

Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, the former Russian government minister and ex-governor of Sevastopol, was sentenced in London to 40 months in prison for circumventing British sanctions. Convicted of setting up a UK bank account to receive tens of thousands of pounds from his wife, Ekaterina, and accepting financial support from his brother, Alexei, he became the first sanctioned official prosecuted under the 2019 Russian Regulations enforced by the UK. The case also highlighted violations involving money laundering and bypassing legal restrictions established after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

The trial, which garnered attention in early April 2025, comes after similar EU sanctions were annulled in 2022, while UK measures remain in effect under post-Brexit rules. Although Ovsiannikov’s wife was acquitted, his brother received a 15‐month suspended sentence for his role in facilitating payments, including covering his children’s school fees. The proceedings underscored the UK's stricter stance on sanctions violations in the wake of geopolitical tensions following Russia’s 2023 invasion of Ukraine.