Spanish police said on Wednesday they had arrested three people on the holiday island of Mallorca for allegedly helping a Russian national evade European Union sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The one man and two women are accused of acting as fronts to manage luxury properties, bank accounts and vehicles to shield assets from seizure, Spain’s National Police said.
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Authorities did not name the Russian national, but Spanish media identified him as Nikolai Kolesov, a businessman linked to the military sector and considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kolesov heads a major supplier of helicopters to the Russian army and is among those sanctioned by the EU over the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian opposition organisation Anti-Corruption Foundation has said that Kolesov owns five luxury villas on Mallorca, part of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean.
Police said they seized over 300,000 euros ($328,000) in cash, six luxury cars, electronic devices, and documents during raids on five villas.
The announcement of the operation came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Madrid to seek diplomatic and military support from Western allies.
