Former so-called "governor" of occupied Sevastopol, Dmitry Ovsyannikov, arrested in London

London, UK (Svidomi) — The former so-called "governor" of Crimea's occupied city of Sevastopol, Dmitry Ovsyannikov, has been detained in London for violating sanctions legislation, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reports, citing the British newspaper The Times.

Ovsyannikov served as a "governor" from 2017 to 2019. Before and after that, he was a former deputy head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. In 2020, he was removed from office and dismissed from the government, allegedly over a scandal involving indecent behaviour at the airport in the Russian city of Izhevsk.

He was arrested in his London home. A preliminary hearing in Ovsyannikov's case will take place in a London court on February 20. According to The Insider, he is accused of circumventing sanctions by opening a bank account in London, making four payments totalling £65,000 and keeping £77,500 in cash.

The UK government imposed sanctions on Dmitry Ovsyannikov in late 2020. His assets were frozen at the time. He is currently being held in a London prison.