A lawyer was arrested in Mallorca in the investigation into the mansions of a Russian arms manufacturer linked to Putin.

A Spanish-Russian lawyer has been arrested as part of raids on several luxury mansions in Mallorca linked to Russian arms manufacturer Nikolai Kolesov, a defense industry magnate close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the investigation, the properties were allegedly registered in the names of family members to circumvent sanctions imposed by the European Union following the invasion of Ukraine. Legal sources confirmed to EFE on Tuesday that the lawyer was arrested for her alleged involvement in real estate transactions in which she held powers of attorney. She also reportedly acted as a translator in these transactions on several occasions. The National Police searched several luxury homes in the municipality of Calvià on Monday afternoon as part of an investigation led by a court in Palma. The operation is being coordinated by the General Information Commissariat and is currently under seal. Five mansions

Police sources have confirmed that the searches were carried out at some of the five mansions formally registered in the names of Kolesov's relatives. According to a complaint filed last June by the Anti-Corruption Foundation—a Russian opposition organization—these properties were allegedly used to circumvent the embargo imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. The magnate, an executive in the arms sector and linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, reportedly owns several luxury villas in Mallorca registered in the names of his children and a sister, according to information provided by this organization. Helicopters for the Russian army

Kolesov is the CEO of Russian Helicopters, a company considered one of the main suppliers of helicopters to the Russian military. The businessman is on the European Union's sanctions list for his connection to the military aggression against Ukraine. A 2024 expansion of the European Commission's sanctions list explicitly included him, considering his company "key to the Russian military-industrial complex" and stating that its equipment is used by the Russian Armed Forces. According to an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the properties linked to Kolesov in Mallorca are valued at approximately €18 million. These properties are registered in the names of family members.

Among these properties is a 1,200-square-meter villa in Calvià, with a large swimming pool and close to the sea. The property was acquired in 2014 by a Russian electrical connector company linked to Kolesov, and in 2022 it was registered in the name of one of his daughters, who was four years old at the time. Investigators also attribute to the arms manufacturer the actual ownership of another villa in the same area, approximately 500 square meters and valued at around three million euros, which is registered in the name of his 72-year-old sister. Furthermore, the investigation identifies a third property actually comprised of three adjoining houses, with a combined area of ​​approximately 750 square meters. The houses are located on a hill overlooking the sea and have an estimated value of around ten million euros. A minor son is listed as the owner.

According to the complaint filed by the Russian opposition organization, the formal owner of these three properties is the arms manufacturer's young son, who was also four years old at the time of their acquisition. In filing the complaint, the Anti-Corruption Foundation asked Spanish authorities to investigate the actual ownership of these properties in Mallorca and, if a link to Kolesov is confirmed, to apply the sanctions established by the European Union against businesspeople involved in the invasion of Ukraine.