Ukrainian prosecutors will be laying out charges towards a winery director in Crimea, which is now occupied by Russia, for allegedly opening a 240-year-old wine so Russian President Vladimir Putin could have a taste, together with Silvio Berlusconi, an ex-Italian premier.
Putin and Berlusconi were in Crimea last week to visit some of the area's ancient ruins and the prestigious Massandra winery. The winery was originally owned by the government of Ukraine, but Russia nationalized it after the country has taken hold of Crimea. It holds wines that go back over 200 years before and one that was auctioned in 2001, amounted to $49,700 (£32,000; €44,000), according to the Associated Press.
"The funds went to the state coffers and supported the development of Massandra and wine-making in Crimea," an official of the prosecutor's office, Nazar Kholodnitsky, said, BBC reported.
Putin and Berlusconi allegedly had a taste of the 1775 Spanish Jerez de la Frontera which was part of a collection by Prince Mikhail Vorontsov, who was Crimea's governor-general during 19th century's first half.
"This wine is not just the property of Crimea or Massandra but of the whole Ukrainian people," Kholodnitsky said, according to Agence France Presse. The bottle is estimated to be worth "over $100,000," he added.
The winery's new director, Yanina Pavlenko, allowed them to drink the wine after Berlusconi asked in English: "Is it possible to drink?" BBC added. Prosecutors are already preparing embezzlement charges against Pavlenko.
President Putin and Berlusconi were named in the case for being part of a "large-scale misuse of property".
