An Auckland-based Russian woman under investigation for fundraising for the Russian army has left New Zealand for Moscow.
Russian woman Antonina Ovchinnikova has raised about NZ$43,000 for Moscow, funding weapons such as gun sights, machine gun mufflers and drones for the soldiers.
Ovchinnikova runs a Russian language channel - which has gained 23,000 followers - on Telegram where she posts Russian nationalist propaganda and updates on the invasion of Ukraine.
Police wouldn't confirm to Newshub if they're investigating Ovchinnikova but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they're aware police were looking into the matter.
Ovchinnikova broke her silence on Saturday by posting a video at Moscow's Domodedovo airport to reveal she had flown back "home" to Russia, Stuff reported.
"Well, what a fuss. I understand the news, of course, oh but I am not only brave but I am also smart," Ovchinnikova said in a three-minute video translated from Russian.
"You know where I am now? At home in Moscow. I am very tired after 30 hours of flight with a bunch of things to do and a lot of plans that I had already made before it all."
Ukrainian-Kiwi Anastasiya Gutorova told AM on Wednesday it's "very concerning" what Ovchinnikova was doing.
"I know that New Zealand's existing laws prohibiting hate speech are very narrow, but this clearly falls within them because this woman is promoting Russian propaganda to thousands of her followers, which calls for the extermination of Ukrainians," Gutorova told AM co-host Ryan Bridge.
Gutorova is pushing for the Government to declare Russia a terrorist state, which would make Ovchinnikova's activity illegal, as any activity financially supporting terrorist acts would be a crime.
"The bigger issue here is that she is openly and actively financing terrorism from New Zealand and the only reason she can do that is because the New Zealand Government hasn't acknowledged the fact that Russia's campaign in Ukraine is terrorism," she said.
