Family of Russian drone designer live sanction-free in London; one son researches disarmament for U.N.

The wife and son of Alexander Zakharov, who invented Russian Lancet suicide drones, have owned an apartment in central London worth 1.5 million pounds ($1.9 million) since 2018, reports Russian independent outlet iStories.

iStories writes that the company TsST, in which Zakharov owns a controlling stake, has supplied Lancets to Russia’s Defense Ministry since the start of the full-scale invasion for 5.3 billion rubles ($16 million). The U.K. authorities sanctioned the company but the restrictions have not affected the Zakharov family.

According to the publication, Zakharov’s wife Svetlana, son Nikita, and daughter Maria are directly involved in the drone production business. His youngest son, Lavrentii, has lived abroad at least since 2015. He graduated from school in the U.K. and also pursued his higher education there.

Starting in July 2021, Lavrentii Zakharov worked at U.N. agencies in New York and Rome. Since May 2023, he has been with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). The UNIDIR website lists his research interests as strengthening weapons and ammunition management, de-mining, and humanitarian access.