The husband of a Russian blogger and social media influencer joined the Russian army’s campaign in Ukraine in an apparent bid to help keep his wife from going to jail on tax evasion charges, British officials said Monday.
Alexei Blinovsky is serving in a specially created unit of the Russian Armed Forces known as the Bars Kaskad inside Russian territory near Ukraine.
Bars Kaskad is predominantly involved in uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) operations far from the front lines, U.K. military intelligence officials posted on X in their latest battlefield assessment.
The unit was reportedly established by Dimitry Sablin, the deputy defense chairman of the Russian Legislature, known as the State Duma. At least 10 members of the ruling United Russia party are serving in Bars Kaskad along with the sons of several prominent Kremlin VIPs, who are reportedly assigned armed bodyguards, UK officials said.
“Enlistment with Bars Kaskad likely allows Russian elite figures to sidestep statutory Russian military service requirements with guaranteed safety and potentially curry favor with the Kremlin,” U.K. military officials said.
Alexei Blinovsky’s wife, Yelena Blinovskaya, became well-known on social media for hosting private, online personal growth events during the COVID-19 pandemic. She bills herself as a “life coach” and created a business that generated at least $4 million in revenue in 2020, according to the Moscow Times newspaper.
Critics in Russia accused her of defrauding her followers. Police arrested Ms. Blinovskaya last year while she tried to cross into Belarus in a rented car. She had booked a flight to a third country when she was taken into custody at the border. According to the Moscow Times, she was charged in an $11.3 million tax fraud case.
“Blinovsky’s case is the first recorded time an individual has joined the (Bars Kaskad) to help a family member avoid prison,” UK military officials posted.