News Feed

US charges two businessmen with hiding Russian oligarch's ties to yacht

1 min read

Two businessmen, one Russian and one British, were charged with helping to conceal sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg's $90 million yacht that was seized last year, the United States Justice Department said on Jan. 20.

Vladislav Osipov, 51, a dual Russian and Swiss national, and Richard Masters, 52, a U.K. national, were charged with crimes including sanctions evasion, money laundering, and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to the Justice Department statement.

The yacht, named Tango, belongs to Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg who the U.S. sanctioned in 2018. Spanish authorities impounded the superyacht on behalf of U.S. authorities last year.

"Despite U.S. sanctions issued against Vekselberg in April 2018, Osipov and Masters facilitated the operation of Tango through the use of U.S. companies and the U.S. financial system, attempting to obfuscate Vekselberg’s involvement in the vessel," the statement read.

Spanish police arrested Masters on Jan. 20, and a warrant has been put out for Osipov's arrest.

Avatar
The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

Read more
News Feed

"This agreement will help ensure Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression, while backing British defense companies, supporting skilled jobs and strengthening our national security," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on July 13.

The listings include the company VK, which owns the social media website VKontakte, its daughter company Communication Platform LLC, which developed Max, and the latter's head, Elena Bagudina.

Show More