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Ksenia Sobchak, the rumored god-daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fled the country last week after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Now, her mother is claiming that she'll return to Russia soon.
Russian state-owned news agency Radio Sputnik reported Wednesday that Lyudmila Narusova, a politician and Sobchak's mother, told another media outlet that her daughter will return to Russia soon from Lithuania.
"She will, very soon," Narusova told Ria Novosti when asked if her daughter is slated to return, according to Radio Sputnik.
Sobchak, a prominent media figure, left Russia on October 25 and traveled through Belarus to reach Lithuania, where her presence was confirmed by intelligence officials. Russian state-run media outlet TASS reported that police had issued an arrest warrant for Sobchak in connection with an alleged extortion case against her commercial director Kirill Sukhanov, who was later detained.
After fleeing Russia, Sobchak was named a suspect in the case, and her home was searched, according to TASS. On October 29, Sobchak posted a vague message to Telegram where she said she was in "trouble," though it was not immediately clear what exactly she was referring to.
"My thoughts are with my family, who I have been separated from," she said on Telegram, later adding: "Yes, I am in trouble. Possibly, in big trouble."
Narusova told Ria Novosti that her daughter, Sobchak, was not involved in the alleged criminal activity, Radio Sputnik reported. Narusova also told the outlet that her daughter used an Israeli passport to cross international borders.
In addition to being a television host, Sobchak is also an actress, socialite, and former presidential candidate. Her father was Anatoly Sobchak, the first mayor of St. Petersburg, and she was at one point referred to as "Russia's Paris Hilton."
Translation by Oleksandr Vynogradov
