Italy seizes assets of Russian businessman under investigation in Ukraine

Italian tax police seized real estate assets and holdings worth around 41 million euros ($44.4 million) from a Russian businessman on Monday, Florence prosecutors said.

The man was under investigation in Ukraine for alleged corruption, fraud and money laundering, and the seizure was made at the request of Ukraine's anti-corruption prosecutor's office, according to the Florence prosecutors' statement.

They did not identify the Russian businessman, but a judicial source and a separate legal source both told Reuters his name was Alekszej Fedoricsev.

Several Italian newspapers, including the country's biggest selling daily Corriere della Sera, gave the same name.

An Italian court-appointed lawyer for the businessman told Reuters he could not comment on the case.

Fedcom Media, part of Fedoricsev's Fedcom Group, did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

According to Italian prosecutors, Fedoricsev reinvested proceeds obtained illegally in Ukraine and owns, through a Florence-based trust, a large real estate complex in the Tuscan capital.

The property, part of the seized assets, is the 12th century Torre del Gallo castle, Corriere della Sera reported.

Fedoricsev is the chairman and founder of the Fedcom Group, a global leader in the field of logistics, shipping and commodities trading, according to his LinkedIn profile, which says he lives in Monaco with his family.

The Italian seizure is unconnected to rounds of Western sanctions on wealthy Russians implemented in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.