The wife of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was spotted vacationing in Israel despite sanctions imposed on the family by the West, a pro-Ukrainian NGO said Tuesday.
According to Israeli Friends of Ukraine, the former Russian ice dancer and 2006 Olympic champion Tatiana Navka spent the last few days at the David Hotel Kempinski in Tel Aviv.
Navka, like her husband and other Kremlin elite, is under international sanctions imposed by the U.S., the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Japan over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions were levied in March, just days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It should be noted that Russian citizens are not required to obtain a visa before entering Israel.
According to foreign publications, Navka owns companies and assets located in the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed by the Russian Federation in 2014.
"How is it possible that Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war still encounter difficulties in entering Israel, but at the same time, the wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman is having a vacation in Israel without any problems," Anna Zharova, the co-founder of the NGO, said.
"On the one hand, Israel still makes it difficult for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine to enter Israel, and on the other hand, enables Putin's associates to stay in Israel, sunbathe by the sea and enjoy life - while Ukraine and its citizens are under heavy bombardment," she said. "This is absurd. Israel's position toward Russia must change," Zharova added.
The Foreign Ministry said in response that they are unfamiliar with the reports.