Putin’s daughters hit by new sanctions

Two of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters were among those sanctioned Wednesday in the latest round of US and European economic penalties over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The European Union has proposed enacting similar sanctions against the daughters, identified in reports as Maria Putina (upper inset) and Katerina Tikhonova (lower inset).

“We believe that many of Putin’s assets are hidden with family members, and that’s why we’re targeting them,” a White House official said Wednesday.

The latest round of sanctions also targeted other prominent Russians, including the wife and daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and current Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Putin has rarely acknowledged the two daughters, believed to be his children with ex-wife Lyudmila Putin, a former flight attendant. The couple was married for nearly 30 years before divorcing in 2013.

Putin is also believed to have married Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva and had four children with her — twin girls and two boys, who were all born in Switzerland.

While little is known about the daughters, Putin revealed in 2015 that both attended college in Russia and speak multiple languages, according to Bloomberg.

Tikhonova, a former competitive dancer, now runs an artificialintelligence initiative at Moscow State University. Putina is a medical researcher and co-owner of Nomenko, a health-care investment firm.

In addition, Putin is believed to have had another daughter in 2003 with his housecleaner-turnedmistress, Svetlana Krivonogikh.