{{Short description|Russian army veteran (born 1990)}} {{Family name hatnote|Dmitriyevich|Peskov|lang=Eastern Slavic}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Nikolay Peskov | native_name = {{nobold|Николай Песков}} | other_names = Nikolai Choles | birth_name = Nikolay Dmitriyevich Peskov | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|02|03|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Moscow]], [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]], [[Soviet Union]] (now [[Russia]]) | relatives = {{ubl|[[Dmitry Peskov]] (father)|[[Semyon Budyonny]] (great-grandfather)}} }} '''Nikolay Dmitriyevich Peskov''' ({{Langx|ru|Николай Дмитриевич Песков}}; born 3 February 1990), also known as Nikolai Choles (Николай Чоулз) is a Russian army veteran and the son of [[Kremlin Press Secretary]] [[Dmitry Peskov]]. Raised in the [[United Kingdom]], where he faced legal issues, Peskov has joined the Russian military and later the [[Wagner Group]]. His role in the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] with Wagner, for which he has been sanctioned, has been disputed.
== Biography == Peskov was born on 3 February 1990 in [[Moscow]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Issuance of new Russia-related Executive Order and related General Licenses; Publication of new and amended Frequently Asked Questions; Russia-related Designations; North Korea Designations |url=https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20220311 |access-date=16 March 2022 |website=U.S. Department of the Treasury |language=en}}</ref> He is the eldest son of [[Dmitry Peskov]] and Anastasia Budyonny.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=26 October 2015 |title=Песков рассказал о сыне-"шалопае" |language=ru |work=RBC |url=https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/562e21949a794752df093cfb |access-date=16 March 2022}}</ref> He is a great-grandson of [[Semyon Budyonny]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=17 November 2016 |title=Песков-Чоулз безнаказанно избил "бабушку Буденного" |language=ru |work=Rospress |url=http://www.rospres.com/dossier/19933/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120072608/http://www.rospres.com/dossier/19933/ |archive-date=20 November 2016 |access-date=16 March 2022 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He moved with his mother to the United Kingdom in the 1990s.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Evans |first=Martin |date=15 March 2022 |title=Son of Vladimir Putin's press chief has assets frozen as 370 more Russians face sanctions |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/15/son-vladimir-putins-press-chief-has-assets-frozen-370-russians/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315220203/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/15/son-vladimir-putins-press-chief-has-assets-frozen-370-russians/ |archive-date=15 March 2022 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> Peskov sometimes uses his stepfather's surname, Choles.<ref name=":1" /> He was educated in Britain.<ref name=":1" /> From 2010 to 2012, Peskov was in the Russian [[Strategic Rocket Forces]] and participated in the 2012 [[Moscow Victory Day Parade]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Чоулз Николай Лица |url=https://rucompromat.com/persons/choulz_nikolay |access-date=16 March 2022 |website=Rucompromat |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117191935/https://rucompromat.com/persons/choulz_nikolay |url-status=dead }}</ref> He briefly worked as a correspondent for [[RT (TV network)|RT]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />
In 2017, Peskov's opulent lifestyle was criticized by [[Russian opposition]] politician [[Alexei Navalny]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=17 August 2017 |title=Navalny Outs Kremlin Spokesman's Alleged Son |work=[[The Moscow Times]] |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2017/08/17/navalny-outs-kremlin-peskov-alleged-son-a58689 |access-date=16 March 2022}}</ref> Peskov responded on [[RBK TV|RBK]] that Navalny's report was "a provocation."<ref name=":2" />
In April 2023, it was reported that Peskov had joined the [[Wagner Group]] and was participating in the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] as an artillery man,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Пригожин заявил о службе сына Пескова артиллеристом в ЧВК "Вагнер" |url=https://www.rbc.ru/politics/21/04/2023/6442daf59a7947710efe94af |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=РБК |date=21 April 2023 |language=ru}}</ref> though a conflicting report shows that when he claimed to be in Ukraine, his Tesla car (which he is the primary driver of) had been seen moving "actively" around Moscow. During this time the car has collected fines as well. The [[VChK-OGPU]] Telegram channel also asked Wagner artillerymen if they had seen him, replying: "he was nowhere to be seen in the Bakhmut area." Nikolai Peskov also claimed that he wanted to join Wagner but didn't know how "so I had to turn to my dad...and he helped me with that". Wagner chief [[Yevgeny Prigozhin]] said that [[Dmitry Peskov]] asked him to "take [Nikolai] on as a simple artilleryman". In September 2022, regarding the [[2022 Russian mobilization]], Russian journalist Dmitry Nizovtsev, an associate of opposition activist [[Alexei Navalny]], called Nikolay Peskov and pretended to be a military recruitment officer. He asked Mr Peskov why he hadn't shown up to the Moscow call up centre. Mr Peskov replied: "I am Mr Peskov. I'm going to take this matter to another level...I basically need to know what's going on and what my rights are." This call was made live on YouTube.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nikolai Peskov: Putin spokesman's son 'joined Wagner in Ukraine'|author=Laurence Peter |date=24 April 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65370222 |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=BBC |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pranksters called the son of one of Putin's closest allies and told him he is being enlisted in the army — but he refused |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/pranksters-tell-kremlin-officials-son-hes-being-enlisted-he-refused-2022-9 |work=Business Insider |date=22 September 2022}}</ref><ref name="draft-dodging" /> It was described in [[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] magazine as an example of [[nepotism]] in Putin's Russia.<ref name="draft-dodging">{{cite news |title=Draft-dodging son of top Putin aide caught exempting himself from fighting in Ukraine war |url=https://fortune.com/2022/09/22/draft-dodging-son-top-putin-aide-dmitry-peskov-caught-exempting-himself-fighting-in-ukraine-war/ |work=Fortune |date=22 September 2022}}</ref>
==Personal life== === Legal issues === Peskov spent time in a British young offender institution for stealing a mobile phone and took courses for [[alcohol abuse]] and [[anger management]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Shaun |date=18 August 2017 |title=Russia: Navalny trains spotlight on lifestyle of Putin spokesman's son |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/18/russia-navalny-trains-spotlight-on-lifestyle-of-putin-spokesmans-son |access-date=16 March 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> This was after a 2010 incident when Peskov and two other men "(punched) a teenager in the face during a mobile phone theft"<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /> outside a McDonald's in [[Milton Keynes]].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1" /> He was given a 15-month sentence. Peskov claimed that he was estranged from his family and had been kicked out by his family at the age of 16.<ref name=":5" />
In 2016, it was alleged{{by whom|date=April 2023}} that Peskov was the subject of a police investigation for beating his grandmother, Inese Budyonny, a 71-year-old pensioner.<ref name=":4" />
=== Sanctions === On 11 March 2022, following the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], Peskov was added to the list of [[Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List|specially designated nationals]] who are sanctioned by the [[United States Department of the Treasury]] as part of the [[international sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War]].<ref name=":0" /> On 15 March 2022, Peskov was sanctioned by the United Kingdom and is banned from traveling to the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1150217/Russia.pdf |access-date=16 April 2023}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Peskov Nikolay}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1990 births]] [[Category:21st-century Russian military personnel]] [[Category:Military personnel from Moscow]] [[Category:People of the Wagner Group]] [[Category:Peskov family]] [[Category:RT (TV network) people]] [[Category:Russian emigrants to the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Russian individuals subject to European Union sanctions]] [[Category:Russian individuals subject to United Kingdom sanctions]] [[Category:Russian individuals subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions]] [[Category:Russian reporters and correspondents]] [[Category:Television reporters and correspondents]]