Russian President Vladimir Putin's reported girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, is among the Russian elites who are the subject of a new wave of US sanctions.
The US Treasury Department has blocked the visa of Alina Kabaeva, a former state Duma member and Olympic gymnast, CNN reported.
It also announced various property restrictions on Kabaeva, the CEO of a Russian national news outlet that supports Russia's aggression on Ukraine.
Sanctions against Kabaeva have been pushed by Kremlin critics and imprisoned Russian rights activist Alexey Navalny because they claim that her news organization was the first to depict Western views on Russia's attack on Ukraine as a disinformation drive.
Kabaeva got subjected to UK sanctions in May, and in June, the EU slapped asset and travel restrictions on her.
Rumors about Kabaeva's romantic relationship with Vladimir Putin have been circulating for years. She has been referred to as "Russia's First Mistress" and even the "Secret First Lady" by Russian tabloids.
According to the Russian publication Moskovsky Korrespondent in 2008, Putin had intentions of divorcing his longstanding wife Lyudmila to live with Kabaeva. Two days later, the newspaper was closed down. But five years later, Putin revealed that he and Lyudmila had split up.
Other High Profile Russians Hit with Sanctions
Meanwhile, Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev, an oligarch who owns the Witanhurst estate, a 25-bedroom home that is the second-largest estate in London after Buckingham Palace, is also mentioned in the Treasury's most recent round of sanctions.
The Alfa Nero, his $120 million yacht, was also listed as banned property. His son Andrey Andreevich Guryev and his son's Russian business company Dzhi AI Invest OOO were also sanctioned.
Sanctions were also placed on Viktor Filippovich Rashnikov, one of Russia's biggest taxpayers, and two entities owned by his MMK, one of the top steel makers in the world, according to AFP.
In a statament, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted: "As innocent people suffer from Russia's illegal war of aggression, Putin's allies have enriched themselves and funded opulent lifestyles. Together with our allies, the United States will also continue to choke off revenue and equipment underpinning Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken separately announced sanctions against 24 Russian defense and technology-related companies, three oligarchs, a Russian state-owned firm under the Ministry of Transportation, four individuals, and one entity "illegitimately operating in Ukraine's territory in collaboration with Russia," CBS News reported.
Furthermore, per Blinken, the US is placing visa restrictions on 893 officials of the Russian Federation and 31 foreign government officials who have taken actions to support Russia's reputed annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine and "thereby threatened or violated Ukraine's sovereignty."
Alina Kabaeva Reportedly Expecting a Baby Girl
In early July, the New York Post reported that Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva were expecting a baby girl, however the Russian leader did not seem overly enthusiastic.
One anonymous post, which used Kabaeva's first and middle name, stated: "The news did not at all please the future father and the president of Russia in one person, who expressed the opinion that there were already enough children, and even more so, daughters, which upset Alina Maratovna very much".
Sources claimed Kabaeva is thought to have two sons and twin girls with the Russian president, all of whom were born in Switzerland and she and the kids had been dwelling in a remote region of the country.
