People close to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov received UAE passports after Russia invaded Ukraine, Anti-Corruption Foundation reports

The Anti-Corruption Foundation has revealed that relatives of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov received UAE passports following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Specifically, Svetlana Polyakova and her daughter Polina Kovaleva were granted UAE citizenship. Polyakova received her citizenship on December 28, 2022, while her daughter acquired her passport on December 17, 2022.

Polyakova had a close working relationship with Lavrov, having worked at the Foreign Ministry and accompanying him on trips. She was listed in some people's phones under the name "Svetlana Lavrova," though this was never her legal surname. Investigations suggest that Polyakova owned real estate valued at over 700 million rubles, which was linked to billionaire Oleg Deripaska.

Before the invasion, Polina Kovaleva lived in the UK, completed her studies at Imperial College Business School, and owned several British companies. Upon the start of the invasion, she left the UK and began working for Qatar Investment in Doha.