Ksenia Maximova, a former international model turned British local politician, has become a prominent figure in the opposition to Russia’s government, recently drawing intense scrutiny and legal charges from Russian authorities. Maximova, who was charged by Russia with terrorism and plotting to seize power in Moscow—a claim she denies—is currently a councillor for the Liberal Democrats in the London suburb of Ealing.
Born in Chaykovsky, a town in Russia’s Urals region, Maximova moved to Britain with her family in the late 1990s and obtained British citizenship in 2003. Before entering politics, she worked as a model, appearing in high-profile fashion magazines and briefly associated with President Donald Trump’s modeling agency. After stepping away from the fashion industry, she pursued studies in art and gradually became involved in activism against the Russian government.
Maximova leads the UK-based Russian Democratic Society, an organisation that holds frequent protests against the war in Ukraine outside the Russian Embassy in London and lobbies for sanctions against close allies of President Vladimir Putin. She has traveled repeatedly to Ukraine, including to cities heavily affected by conflict such as Kherson and Kharkiv, where she supports Ukrainian civilians and interfaces with officials.
Russian state media has launched a campaign against Maximova and other exiled dissidents in London, accusing them of collaborating with British intelligence. An anonymous official reportedly linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) warned that their “fate is sealed.” The FSB also accused Maximova of “psychological harassment” of Russian embassy staff, likely referring to a public appeal she made in 2022 for embassy employees to resign from their posts.
Maximova said she is not surprised by Moscow’s actions but expressed concern about her personal safety in Britain. While she has received briefings from police, she doubts effective protection is possible given the presence of individuals linked to Moscow within London’s Russian community. Strikingly, she noted that she sometimes feels safer in Ukraine than in the UK, although her political responsibilities limit the time she can spend abroad.
Despite her opposition to the Kremlin, Maximova maintains connections to her homeland through family, though she has not visited Russia since 2018 due to fear of repression. She described the personal toll of this separation and the risks faced by dissidents overseas.
Maximova was recently in Strasbourg attending a meeting of an interparliamentary alliance focused on coordinating sanctions and policies regarding Russia. She has also continued her local work as a councillor, addressing housing issues and community concerns in her ward.
Her experience in Ukraine has shaped her views on Britain’s preparedness against potential Russian aggression, including hybrid or military attacks. She warned that the UK is currently ill-equipped to defend itself effectively. Navigating her role as a Russian-born British politician opposed to Putin has placed her in a complex and often precarious position, drawing criticism from both pro-Kremlin Russians and some Ukrainians wary of her heritage, while earning support for her activism and public service.