‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Oscar 2023 noms questioned amid Russia accusations
“Top Gun: Maverick” — nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture — has a dark secret. The blockbuster, which celebrates the scrappy nature of US fighter pilots flying dangerous missions to keep the world safe, is being targeted for being funded in part by a Russian oligarch named Dmitry Rybolovlev, who is close to the Kremlin and sanctioned by Ukraine. In an open letter to the Academy, the Ukrainian World Congress, which represents Ukrainian expats around the world, expressed its “serious concerns over Russia’s influence on the Hollywood film industry.”The letter circulated last week during the final days of voting for the Oscars. Rybolovlev, 56, is no stranger to controversy.He maintained his innocence while spending a year in a Russian jail in the 1990sfor a murder he was later acquitted of.In 2008, during the economic recession, Rybolovlev, via a trust, paid $95 million for Donald Trump’s Palm Beach mansion.