Vladimir Putin's Rumored Girlfriend Slapped With US Sanctions Linked To Russia's Ukraine Invasion

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin's rumored girlfriend, Alina Maratovna Kabaeva, in Tuesday's latest round of sanctions.

The sanctions are a part of a series of measures targeting Kremlin elites in the Biden administration's latest attempt to punish Moscow for its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Kabaeva, who has been romantically linked to Putin, was sanctioned "for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation," U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

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The department describes the 39-year-old Kabaeva as having "a close relationship to Putin." It added that she is a former member of the State Duma "and is the current head of the National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin empire of television, radio, and print organizations."

The United Kingdom and the European Union had already imposed sanctions on Kabaeva in May and June, respectively.

Last month, media reports said the former champion Olympic gymnast is expecting a baby girl, the fifth rumored child for Kabaeva and Putin.

Besides Kabaeva, the U.S. Department also imposed sanctions against a number of other oligarchs, including a major steel production company and a financial institution accused of running a sanctions evasion operation.

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Photo courtesy Russian Presidential Press and Information Office via Wikimedia Commons