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In the past twenty-four hours, the name Elsina Khairova has become the focal point of showbiz circles globally. The Daily Mail's Monday revelation about Tom Cruise's newfound love interest, a Russian socialite reminiscent of his Mission Impossible escapades, has stirred considerable interest.
The British newspaper reports that the 61-year-old Hollywood actor, renowned for his role as a highly skilled agent in Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol, has found a simpler way to infiltrate Russia's elite in real life. Enter Elsina Khayrova, a 36-year-old beauty with Russian ties, spotted sharing tender moments with Cruise at a party in London's Mayfair.
Khayrova, the daughter of a well-known Russian parliamentarian and former wife of a diamond merchant oligarch, Dmitry Chetkov, was previously married to Chetkov, and the couple shared substantial assets, including a £22 million mansion in Surrey and London properties valued at £18 million. They also possessed properties in Dubai and Cyprus, reflecting a lavish lifestyle with multimillion-pound car, jewelry, and art collections.
Notably, Khayrova, identified as a British citizen, became the focus of media attention amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, cited in The Times as an example of how Cyprus is influenced by Putin's elite money. She reportedly owns various properties in Limassol, drawing attention to the connections between Russian oligarchs and the Mediterranean island.
The Daily Mail's revelation, however, fails to mention that Khayrova and Chetkov obtained Cypriot citizenship through the controversial "golden passport" program in 2016. The naturalization process involved a Limassol-based law firm, which had previously faced scrutiny in similar cases.
Interestingly, investigations following the fall of the Cyprus Investment Program uncovered serious gaps in the naturalization processes of Khayrova and her ex-husband. The couple faced suspicions of misleading authorities, with Tsvetkov even under the scrutiny of Interpol and wanted by both Russian and Cypriot authorities.
The couple's legal battles extended beyond their divorce proceedings, and Cyprus was mentioned in various international press reports during the disputes. In the summer decision of the British High Court in the case of Tsvetkov v Khayrova, Khayrova was accused of hiding assets, including a £1 million bag collection, and transferring properties in Cyprus to her mother's name to shield them from her ex-husband.
The judge in the case, Justice Peel, stated that the proceedings were "tainted by [Ms Khayrova's] dishonesty from beginning to end" and held her responsible for the costly litigation. Khayrova was ordered to pay half of her husband's legal bill, amounting to £1,761,488.
Elsina Khairova emerges not just as a figure in Cruise's love life but as a central character in the ongoing saga of Russia's elite influence in Cyprus, marked by legal controversies and the 'golden passport' program."
By fLEXI tEAM