Russian Billionaire’s Wife Karina Rotenberg Removed From US Sanctions List

On April 2, the US Department of the Treasury removed Karina Rotenberg, the wife of Russian billionaire Boris Rotenberg, from its sanctions list. The decision comes after she was initially sanctioned in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Boris Rotenberg, a longtime associate of Vladimir Putin, is ranked among Russia’s 125 richest individuals by Forbes, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion. The two have known each other, since childhood through their judo training. Rotenberg currently serves as vice president of the Russian Judo Federation and owns the Sochi football club.

Karina Rotenberg (née Gapchuk) has been the head of the Moscow Equestrian Sports Federation since 2011. According to leaked documents from the so-called Rotenberg Archive, she and two of her three children hold US citizenship. Russian media reports indicate that she owns half of her husband’s Western real estate assets.

While Karina Rotenberg was removed from the list, the US Treasury added three Russian-registered companies to its sanctions list, effectively banning any financial transactions and freezing their assets in the US. These companies include:

• Edison LLC – a household appliance trading company;

• Kolibri Group LLC – involved in grain, seed, and animal feed trade;

• Sky Frame LLC – listed as a film production company.

According to The Moscow Times, Edison is owned by an Iranian citizen, Saeedi Ahmad, while Kolibri Group and Sky Frame are owned by Afghan nationals Ghairat Ushang and Hammedani Mohammaddin, respectively.

The US Treasury stated that these entities were part of a network, allegedly backed by Iran, that facilitated the transfer of raw materials, weapons, and sensitive goods from Russia to Yemeni Houthi forces. This network, according to the US Treasury, has secured tens of millions of dollars’ worth of commodities from Russia—including weapons, sensitive technology, and stolen Ukrainian grain—for shipment to Houthi-controlled Yemen.

In addition, the US Treasury blacklisted four individuals, including Yuri Belyakov and Vyacheslav Vidanov, captains of the vessel Zafar, which was allegedly involved in transporting Ukrainian grain from annexed Crimea.

Separately, reports indicate that Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, are set to meet at the White House today after a temporary lift of sanctions against Dmitriev.