Former Reform UK Wales leader ordered to pay £22,500 over pro-Russian bribery

The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has been ordered to pay more than £22,500 after accepting bribes to make pro-Russian speeches in the European Parliament.

Gill, 53, of Llangefni on Anglesey, was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison in November 2025 after pleading guilty to eight counts of bribery under the Bribery Act 2010.

He is thought to have received up to £40,000 to help pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, while he was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

At the Old Bailey on Thursday he was given six months to sell a rental property to pay the money to the UK government, or face a further nine months in prison.

While a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Gill had accepted money from Oleg Voloshyn, 44, a man once described by the US government as a "pawn" of Russian secret services.

Voloshyn was acting on behalf of a "close friend" of Vladimir Putin - Viktor Medvedchuk, 71, a former oligarch and pro-Russian Ukrainian politician who was the source of the requests and the cash.

In return for money, Gill gave speeches in the European Parliament and interviews to a now closed, pro-Russian TV channel in Ukraine.

He was the first British politician sentenced for the offence.

Gill did not appear at the short Old Bailey hearing this morning in which the UK government applied to confiscate £22,592.41.

Prosecuting Ben Holt told Judge Richard Marks that the sum to be paid had been agreed between the parties.

Clare Ashcroft, representing Gill, told the court that he would need time to sell his rental property to make the payment.

She said: "The property needs to be sold. Notice has been given to the tenants. Until these tenants vacate, that property cannot be put on the market."

It is understood the rental property is on Anglesey, the Press Association reported.

After hearing from defence counsel, Judge Richard Marks granted Gill six months in which to pay or face an extra term of nine months in prison.

Gill was an MEP from 2014 to 2020 - initially for UKIP and then the Brexit Party. He had briefly been a member of the Senedd - Wales' parliament - from 2016 to 2017, and had also served as UKIP's Welsh leader.

He led Reform UK's 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign, but failed to be re-elected. He is no longer a member of the party.

In return for money he gave two TV interviews to 112 Ukraine in support for Medvedchuk, who had faced treason proceedings at the time.