Sentencing: The first ever UK prosecution of Russian sanction breaches

Two individuals have been sentenced today (11 April 2025) for breaches of Russian linked financial sanctions for the first time ever in the United Kingdom.

Dmitrii Ovsyannikov, 48, and Alexei Ovsyannikov (AO), 47, have been found guilty of eight counts of breaching financial sanctions and two counts of money laundering at Southwark Crown Court and sentenced to 40 months imprisonment and 15 months imprisonment suspended for 15 months respectively.

Both defendants are Russian nationals and hold Russian passports.

Dmitrii Ovsyannikov held senior positions in the Russian government structure such as being the former governor of Sevastopol, in the Russian occupied Crimea and a Deputy Minister. The European Union (which the United Kingdom was a member) introduced financial sanctions against certain Russian linked or backed individuals. When the UK left the EU; Dmitrii Ovsyannikov remained a designated person within the sanctions’ regime for this county and so he has been so since November 2017 to the present day.

When Dmitrii Ovsyannikov lost his position as the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in Russia and he applied to have his EU sanctions lifted and looked to move to London where he acquired a British passport, which he was issued with in January 2023. 

Once in London, Dmitrii Ovsyannikov applied for a Halifax bank account on 6 February 2023. The next day he applied to have his designated status revoked in the UK after previously being successful in the European Union. His wife, Ekaterina Ovsyannikov, transferred £1,000 into his bank account on 8 February. 

Around 22 February of that year, Dmitrii Ovsyannikov attended a Mercedes Benz showroom and attempted to buy a Mercedes Benz GLC 300 at the cost of £54,000. Over the next couple of days, Ekaterina transferred a further £75,000 into her husband’s bank account.

However, his bank accounts were frozen once it was realised that he was on the UK’s sanctions list. His brother Alexi purchased the car Dmitrii Ovsyannikov then had use of the vehicle.

Later in the year Alexei left his debit card for Dmitrii Ovsyannikov to use in shops around Clapham and Balham after he went on a trip to Vienna. 

In May 2024 Alexi made funds available to Dmitrii Ovsyannikov to use to pay private school fees for around £17,000 for his children. AO paid school fees on behalf of his brother.

All of these financial and attempted transactions are in contravention of the financial sanctions regime created by the UK government.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office confirmed that Dmitrii Ovsyannikov remains on the financial sanctions list on 7th July 2023.

Julius Capon of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The sanctions regime was introduced against key individuals in an attempt to encourage Russia to cease military actions in foreign countries because it was hoped those with power will be hampered in doing their normal international business dealings.

“Dmitrii Ovsyannikov was a high-profile official who was appointed by President Vladimir Putin as the Governor of Sevastopol after Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia. He knew he had been on the UK sanctions list since 2017 but choose to ignore this
“Another member of his family sought deliberately to breach the sanctions to live their own lavish lifestyle and show complete disregard for the law.

“We hope this send a clear message that the CPS and NCA investigators will work closely together to robustly seek the convictions of sanction busters.

“We will start proceeds of crime proceedings to get back illegally obtained cash and assets.”

Graeme Biggar, Director General of the NCA said: “Dmitrii Ovsiannikov and his family clearly knew that he was subject to these sanctions and deliberately took steps to circumvent the controls.

“These convictions demonstrate not only that designated individuals are on our radar, but so are those who enable breaches of the regulations.

“Today’s verdict is testament to the hard work and determination of the NCA’s Combatting Kleptocracy Cell, which has delivered more than 180 disruptions to remove or reduce a criminal threat posed by Putin-linked elites and their enablers since the invasion of Ukraine.”