The Kremlin on Thursday denounced French authorities for seizing a villa reportedly owned by the new husband of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ex-wife.
The property is located in Anglet, a coastal town in southwest France, and the residence is said to belong to Russian businessman Artur Ocheretny. Russian media has reported that Ocheretny married the former Lyudmila Putina in 2015. Lyudmila was Putin’s wife from 1983 until their divorce, which was announced in 2013.
“Since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, billions of dollars worth of Russian assets have been frozen or confiscated in Europe due to sanctions,” The Moscow Times wrote, noting the Kremlin has frequently lashed out about seizures of Russian property that have occurred since Putin launched his war on Ukraine in February 2022.
Le Monde reported on Wednesday that French authorities seized the Anglet villa—nicknamed Suzanna—in December 2023 along with a Paris apartment owned by the ex-wife of Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. The seizures were reportedly part of investigations into money laundering.
“Any encroachment on private property is illegal from the onset,” Peskov said to reporters on Thursday about the seized properties. “The French authorities are undermining the foundations of their legal system. We have said it many times.”
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The Moscow Times, citing French media, reported that the Suzanna villa was purchased for $5.8 million in 2013. Investigators are said to be probing if the property tied to Putin’s ex-wife was bought using fraudulent funds.
The French investigations linked to the villa and the Paris apartment reportedly came following a complaint from Transparency International, which The Moscow Times described as an NGO “that exposes and tracks assets it says are linked to ‘dirty money.'”
During the early days of Putin’s invasion, the Suzanna received news coverage when protesters spray-painted anti-Putin and pro-Ukraine graffiti on the residence.
Another villa near the Suzanna has ties to Putin. The property in question is registered as belonging to Kirill Shamalov, who was once married to Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikhonova. Shamalov’s villa was also once targeted by pro-Kyiv activists who occupied the home in March 2022 and called for it to be used as a shelter for Ukrainian refugees.
Both of Putin’s daughters have been sanctioned by the United States as a result of his invasion of Ukraine, as well as his reputed girlfriend, Alina Maratovna Kabaeva. The Kremlin has previously denied Putin is in a romantic relationship with Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast who reportedly has four children with the Russian leader.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.