The Justice Department announced a series of arrests and indictments targeting Russian businessmen and their associates across multiple states in the U.S., coinciding with the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Charges were unsealed in New York against Andrei Kostin, the president of VTB Bank, along with two facilitators, Vadim Wolfson and Gannon Bond, for allegedly evading sanctions and laundering money to support luxury assets. The arrests and indictments, part of the Task Force KleptoCapture’s efforts, aim to convey a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the U.S. remains steadfast in enforcing economic restrictions and holding accountable those enabling the Kremlin’s actions.
In Washington, D.C., Vladislav Osipov was indicted for bank fraud related to operating a luxury yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, marking the first seizure of a superyacht belonging to a sanctioned Russian with close ties to the Kremlin. Additionally, in Florida, Serhiy Kurchenko, a sanctioned Ukrainian metals magnate, faces charges for attempting to evade sanctions, while a civil forfeiture complaint was filed against two luxury condos owned by Viktor Perevalov, a sanctioned Russian businessman. Meanwhile, in Georgia, Feliks Medvedev pleaded guilty to aiding in the laundering of over $150 million through bank accounts he controlled, underscoring ongoing efforts to combat illicit financial activities supporting Russia’s actions.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to disrupting the flow of illegal funds fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine, announcing additional enforcement actions targeting sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military. Over the past two years, the department has secured court orders seizing nearly $700 million in assets and charged more than 70 individuals with violating sanctions and export controls, highlighting ongoing efforts to hold accountable those complicit in supporting Russia’s actions.
