A 73-year-old Russian woman has been sentenced in absentia by Monaco’s Criminal Court for her role in facilitating prostitution in the Principality, following an investigation into a network involving young Ukrainian escorts, Monaco-Matin reports.

The court handed down a three-year prison sentence, an €18,000 fine, and a ten-year ban from entering Monaco, concluding that the woman played a central role in an organised system that operated throughout the first half of 2022.

According to the proceedings, police had been monitoring the woman’s repeated journeys between France and Monaco, where she was seen transporting young women to hotels and nightclubs across the Principality. Investigators noted a consistent pattern: the women would be dropped off at various locations, only to be collected several hours later, day and night, over a period of months.

While the defendant claimed she was merely helping Ukrainian women displaced by the war, insisting she acted out of solidarity and had no knowledge of their activities, the court found her explanation unconvincing. Escorts and clients interviewed during the investigation confirmed that she acted as a dedicated driver — effectively a private transport service for prostitution appointments.

Evidence presented in court suggested her involvement went far beyond driving. Prosecutors argued that she acted as an intermediary, coordinating logistics, selecting women, setting prices and receiving payments, including cash and luxury goods such as handbags and watches. Fuel expenses were also reportedly covered by the proceeds.

Despite initially cooperating with authorities, the woman later failed to respond to police summonses, prompting the opening of a formal judicial investigation. Her continued absence ultimately led the court to rule without her present.

During the hearing, the Deputy Public Prosecutor described the defendant as a key operational link in the system, accusing her of enabling the exploitation of vulnerable young women — some barely in their twenties — for the purposes of prostitution in Monaco.

Following deliberations, the judges issued an arrest warrant in addition to the sentence, underscoring the seriousness of the case and Monaco’s firm stance against organised pimping and human exploitation within its borders.