Former Austrian minister moves to Russia, flies her two ponies on board Russian military plane
Former Austrian minister moves to Russia along with 2 ponies, flies them on board military plane
Former Austrian minister Karin Kneissl moved to Russia, along with her two ponies, which she transported to the country via a Russian military plane.
Kneissl, in a conversation with Russia's state-owned Tass news agency, revealed that she would be moving to St Petersburg to work at the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues [GORKI].
The think tank was set up to "help define the policies for the Russian Federation" with a focus on the Near and Middle East.
"I co-founded the Gorki centre and manage it," Tass news agency quoted Kneissl as saying. "Since there is a lot of work there and it requires a lot of attention, I cannot do this in passing. I decided to move to St. Petersburg for this work."
As per a report by Russian investigative website The Insider, Kneissl's ponies were flown to Saint Petersburg on a military aircraft last week from the Russian air base at Hmeimim in Syria.
"It was impossible for me to drive a lorry through Syria under the circumstances of the war," Kneissl confirmed to news agency AFP on Wednesday (September 13).
)
‘I have a big decision coming up’: Trump says he’s approaching major ‘crossroad’ in Iran war
)
Abhishek Sharma shatters record with 30-ball century against Afghanistan
)
US intel warns China can steal F-35 jets secret from Saudis
)
Former India player Diana Edulji wants Smriti Mandhana to replace Harman as skipper at the earliest
)
Pak defence minister says 'time has come to implement pact'
)
Formula One reveals the 2027 race calendar; Monaco to host sprint race for the first time
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters in the latest ICC T20I Rankings
)
All Indian goods to get duty-free access to New Zealand
)
AI already defying, denying humans, is it beyond human control already?
)
US F-16 fighter jet crashes in Michigan during training mission, pilot ejects safely
)
240-million-year-old bizarre 'pig with a tusk' creature creates new dilemma over origin of dinosaurs
)
US to sell 48 F-35 Lightning fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, help it deter threats
)
Hong Kong unveils 11 new measures to boost birth rates, offers higher cash bonuses and housing perks
)
Former OpenAI researcher warns of growing risks from Artificial Intelligence
)
Australian athlete, who soiled herself during Hyrox race, apologises for continuing
)
Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata calls Chandrasekaran’s reappointment ‘illegal’, rejects Tata Sons listing
)
Dolly Parton dies at 80: Country legend’s team reveals cause of death
)
Fed raises rates for first time in 3 years, Kevin Warsh defies Trump as inflation mounts
)
US drone firm linked to Trump’s sons signs MoU with Pakistan army, gets initial order
)
Pak batter Rizwan's petition against being questioned by cyber crime agency rejected by court
)
Daayra movie review: Kareena Kapoor, Prithviraj Sukumaran shine in Meghna Gulzar’s cop-versus-cop crime thriller
)
Trump could impose tariffs of up to 100%
)
Putin 'is plotting something bad': Russia may launch 'accidental' strikes on NATO countries supporting Ukraine, Poland PM warns
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Suriya and Jyothika say ‘I do’ again after 20 years! See their dreamy wedding pics
)
Laura Wolvaardt sets new world record for most WT20I runs in a year
)
Mahua Moitra moves UN over alleged exclusion of Muslim officers from Amit Shah events
)
Pezeshkian, Araghchi set to attend UNGA 2026 in New York amid ongoing conflict as US-imposed travel curbs remain
)
Ukraine plans record $109 bn defence spending, nearly two thirds of budget amid Russia war
"Due to sanctions, there are no flights or DHL (shipping service)," Kneissl wrote on Telegram, flabbergasted that her "move has become a political issue".
Also read: Taiwan 'not for sale': Taipei slams Elon Musk over ‘blindly flattering’ comments for China
In the year 2018, the then-foreign minister of neutral Austria, Kneissl made headlines when she invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to her wedding in Austria and also danced with him. She left the government the very next year and moved to France in September 2020.
The 58-year-old claimed that she was pressured to leave which is why she had temporarily settled in a small village in Lebanon.
In the year 2021, Kneissl joined the Board of Directors of the Russian oil giant Rosneft.
She stepped down from her position in May 2022 after the European Parliament passed a resolution threatening sanctions against Europeans still on the boards of major Russian companies.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.