It was revealed that Lavrov's relatives obtained UAE passports after the war

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It has become known that those close to Lavrov obtained UAE passports after the war

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, individuals close to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov obtained UAE passports.

This refers to Svetlana Polyakova, who has close ties with Lavrov, and her daughter. Polyakova received UAE citizenship on December 28, 2022, "for services to the state." Her daughter, Polina Kovalyova, obtained a UAE passport slightly earlier in connection with her employment.

Polyakova's close relationship with Lavrov was revealed in 2021. According to "Vazhnye Istorii," she worked at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and accompanied the minister on his foreign trips. In the phones of several people, she was saved as Svetlana Lavrova, although she had not officially taken this surname.

Journalists also discovered that Polyakova owns real estate worth more than 700 million rubles in total. An FBK investigation also notes that Polyakova and her family used the private jets and overseas real estate of Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska.

Polina Kovalyova lived in the UK until the start of the war. She studied at the business school of Imperial College London and owned several British companies. In 2016, at the age of 21, Kovalyova bought an apartment in the prestigious Kensington district for 4.4 million pounds sterling. After the start of the war and the imposition of sanctions, she left England and took a job at the Qatar Investment company in Doha.

Obtaining UAE citizenship is considered a very complex process. The standard naturalization procedure for foreigners requires 30 years of continuous residence in the country, knowledge of the Arabic language, and a positive reputation. Since 2021, the opportunity to obtain citizenship "for special services" has been granted to investors, scientists, doctors, inventors, and figures of art. However, a candidate cannot submit an application independently; they must be recommended by federal government bodies or the courts of the rulers of the emirates.

For information, in May, the US did not grant a visa to Lavrov's deputy, Aleksandr Alimov, to participate in the open debates of the UN Security Council. At that time, Moscow assessed this decision by the US as a violation of the obligations under the agreement on the UN headquarters.