Billionaire Oleg Deripaska wins lawsuit against ‘sex trainers’ who allegedly linked him to Russian interference in 2016 U.S. election

The billionaire Oleg Deripaska has won his defamation lawsuit against Anastasia Vashukevich and Alexander Kirillov, the Belarusian “sex trainers” better known as “Nastya Rybka” and “Alex Leslie.” On Monday, a court in Krasnodar awarded Deripaska 500,000 rubles (almost $8,000) in emotional damages. Deripaska accused the two of illegally disclosing information about his private life without his consent.

Deripaska's lawyers had asked for 2 million rubles ($31,865) in damages. The court also ordered Vashukevich and Kirillov to delete from the Internet all videos, photos, and comments containing Deripaska's personal information. The hearing was closed to the public, and neither the defendants nor the plaintiff were present in court. The ruling takes effect in a month, if it isn't challenged in appellate court (which isn't likely, given that Vashukevich and Kirillov have been imprisoned in Thailand since February).

In August 2016, Deripaska invited Vashukevich onto his yacht, where she photographed him and then Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Prikhodko in the company of several supposed “escorts.” Anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny drew attention to the photos earlier this year, suggesting that Deripaska and Prikhodko may have discussed interference in the U.S. presidential election.

In late February, Thai police arrested Vashukevich and Kirillov, along with eight other people, for “illegal business activities.” They’re charged with running a “sex training” workshop for tourists. They’re still in police custody. In May 2018’s government personnel shuffle, Prikhodko was demoted from deputy prime minister and Dmitry Medvedev’s chief of staff to Medvedev’s first deputy chief of staff.