Ukrainian businessman accused of exporting luxury cars to Russia

A businessman from the western Ukrainian city of Lviv stands accused of selling 45 luxury cars valued more than 3 million eurors (3.3 million dollars) to Russians using fake documentation.

Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service made the announcement on Friday.

Among the customers for the sales, which took place from August 2022 onwards, were senior managers of Gazprom and the state-funded RT broadcaster, formerly known as Russia Today.

RT was seen as a propaganda channel in the West.

Transit through the European Union was achieved in part with counterfeited documents, according to the intelligence.

The SBU said it had confiscated assets to the value of almost 17 million euros, including 22 apartments in Kiev and Lviv, as well as a further 40 upmarket cars.

The man faced up to 12 years in prison for supporting the aggressor state during wartime.

Most Western carmakers withdrew from Russia after sanctions were imposed following the invasion of Ukraine in February last year.