Vladimir Putin’s billionaire former son-in-law has escaped the sanctions misery in Russia to fly to Dubai for a lavish 40th birthday party.
Sanctioned Kirill Shamalov, who was formerly married to Katerina Tikhonova, 35, the Russian president's second daughter, has reportedly triggered a scandal by flying to the UAE with the wealthy daughter of an FSB general.
“While everyone in the country is tightening their belts, and business and industry are entrusted with key roles in saving the economy, Vladimir Putin's former son-in-law, billionaire shareholder of Sibur [petrochemicals giant] Kirill Shamalov, is burning his life,” reported VChK-OGPU Telegram channel.
According to Mail Online reports , Shamalov, who is Russia’s youngest billionaire, is now with Anastasia Zadorina, the 33-year-old daughter of a secret services general in the FSB who played a key role in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Zadorina is said to have hosted her partner’s birthday bash at Dubai’s Burj Al Arab tower; a far cry from the sanctions gloom in Moscow.
VChK-OGPU said the party was exclusively for “the elite and was held in conditions of increased secrecy, given the current events in Ukraine”.
“Along with Shamalov, guests were received by his new passion - FSB general's daughter… Anastasia Zadorina.
“Sources say there will be a wedding soon.”
Shamalov was married to Putin's daughter Katerina Tikhonova for five years from 2013 to 2018.
Within 18 months of their wedding, he had acquired a large chunk of shares in a major Russian oil and petrochemical processor called Sibur.
Shamalov was the former economic advisor to the Russian government.
Following the Russian tycoon’s marriage to Katerina, he embarked upon a relationship with London-based investor Zhanna Volkova, 44.
They broke up after riding out the worst of the pandemic together, with divorce hearings reportedly held in secret in Moscow last year.
Shamalov’s new flame, Zadorina, is the founder of her own couture brand anastaiAZadorina and the ZASPORT label, which is the official outfitter for the Russian Olympic team.
She is known to have designed Russian patriotic propaganda T-shirts referring to Putin’s missiles, with the slogan “Topol is not afraid of sanctions”, referring to Russia's intercontinental ballistic missile called Topol, and “Sanctions? Don't make fun of my Iskanders.”
“Kirill left for the UAE in the company of the FSB general's daughter, the founder of the [Russian] Olympic brand, Anastasia Zadorina, a little less than a week ago,” reported VChK-OGPU.
”The couple rests and waits out the turbulent times on the beach in the mornings, and in the evenings in karaoke.”
As sanctions take hold, Dubai seems to be a popular bolthole for super-rich Russians to escape to.
He was recently targeted in a leak of videos before his Dubai trip, with one clip showing him looking worse-for-wear in a car, and another picturing him with a mystery woman.
