Popular Russian blogger Alexandra Mitroshina has been placed under house arrest in Moscow after pleading guilty to money laundering. She admitted to laundering 127 million rubles (~$1.5 million) in unpaid taxes through real estate purchases.
Mitroshina, who boasts 2.7 million Instagram followers, is known for her social media marketing courses and advocacy work, including the “I Did Not Want to Die” campaign against domestic violence. Her online ventures have been highly lucrative—she reportedly earned 303 million rubles (~$4.1 million) in 2021, doubling her previous year’s income.
Tax Evasion Allegations
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mitroshina relocated to Dubai, launching a dance school and podcast studio. However, Russian authorities accused her of illegally distributing her income across multiple sole proprietorships to avoid paying higher taxes.
Initially, Mitroshina dismissed the allegations as an accounting mistake, even suggesting an app to help bloggers manage tax payments. While the case was later closed, investigators reopened it with money laundering charges.
Arrest and Court Hearing
On March 7, Mitroshina was arrested at Sochi airport upon returning to Russia, despite her lawyers assuring her it was safe to come back.
During her arraignment, her lawyer Mikhail Mushailov—who also represents Ksenia Karelina, a U.S.-Russian citizen jailed for donating to a Ukrainian charity—argued that Mitroshina had already settled her tax debt of over 200 million rubles by selling her Russian properties.
