The 55-year-old's spokesman said he would be playing a 'limited' role in trying to broker a 'peaceful resolution' to the Kremlin's attack on its neighbour.īut on Thursday, the Government said Mr Abramovich had received financial benefits from the Kremlin, including tax breaks for his companies, the buying and selling of shares from and to the state at favourable rates, and contacts in the run up to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Last week, Mr Abramovich, who has owned Chelsea since 2003, said he would sell the club, with the net proceeds being donated to a charity benefiting 'all victims of the war in Ukraine'. 'Every oligarch and those supporting Putin in any way should be sanctioned,' he told reporters on a visit to the Tapa military base in Estonia.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for fresh rounds of sanctions to go 'further and faster', saying he demanded Mr Abramovich be targeted weeks ago. He warned Moscow of more sanctions to come, telling broadcasters during a visit to Merseyside that he would work with allies to 'tighten the economic vice around the Putin regime'. Jets and yachts owned or chartered by Mr Abramovich, who is worth about £9.4 billion, can now been seized.Īfter critics urged Boris Johnson to go further in targeting the Kremlin's backers, the Prime Minister defended the 'very careful' approach to imposing sanctions and stressed the need to establish 'clear evidence'. Season ticket holders and those with games already booked can still attend matches, but no new tickets can be sold and the club's merchandise shop will close.ĭowning Street is 'open' to a sale of Chelsea, as has been planned by the oligarch, but said a separate licence would need to be approved by the Treasury and that 'under no circumstances' could he profit from it. Ministers issued a licence authorising Chelsea, which was hit by the asset freeze, to continue playing matches.
Nikolai Tokarev: President of the Russia state-owned pipeline company Transneft.Served under Putin when autocrat was mayor of St Petersburg. Alexei Miller: Chief executive of of energy company Gazprom.A 'close associate of Putin' who has 'long supported Kremlin objectives through VTB Bank'. Andrey Kostin: Chairman of VTB bank, the second largest bank in Russia.The Government said he is 'particularly close and influential ally of Putin'. Igor Sechin: Chief Executive of Rosneft, the Russian state oil company.Has stakes in En+ Group, a major extractives and energy company which owns UC Rusal, one of the world's major aluminium producers. Oleg Deripaska: Estimated wealth of £2billion and a multi-million-pound Uk property portfolio.The other oligarchs sanctioned today are: 'He is one of the few oligarchs from the 1990s to maintain prominence under Putin,' a Government spokesman said. The Government estimates his wealth at more than £9billion and notes his stakes in steel giant Evraz, Norilsk Nickel and ownership of Chelsea FC. Roman Abramovich is one of seven Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK Government today.