An American court has issued orders to confiscate two luxury planes owned by Roman Abramovich under sanctions imposed due to the Ukrainian war.
The planes are a $ 350 million (280 million pounds) Boeing 787 Dreamliner – a cutting-edge aircraft used by many of the world’s major airlines – and a $ 60 million (48 million pounds) Gulfstream G650 ER ).
However, the chances of the authorities controlling them are uncertain.
A Justice Department official said the planes were not in his custody and declined to say if they knew where they were.
The Russian billionaire has already had to sell the Chelsea football club due to UK sanctions imposed on people believed to have ties to President Putin and the Russian state.
Abramovich has denied having a close relationship with the president and was involved to some extent in mediation between Russia and Ukraine in the early days of the war.
Authorities said the Gulfstream had flown from Istanbul to Moscow on March 12, left for Tel Aviv the next day and returned from Istanbul to Moscow on March 15.
The Boeing flew from Dubai to Moscow on March 4, according to the Commerce Department.
A Manhattan judge issued orders Monday because recent flights had violated U.S. export controls.
Image: One of his planes is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner similar to this one. Image: AP Image: The other plane the US wants to take is a Gulfstream G650 ER. Photo file
The planes are made in America and since the flights took place after the sanctions began, Abramovich would have needed a license from the Department of Commerce to use them.
No license was requested and he could face a fine of up to $ 328,000 per flight, among other actions.
Abramovich’s children “take ownership of the planes”
“Russian oligarchs like Abramovich will not be able to break U.S. export regulations without consequences,” said John Sonderman, chief trade officer.
In March, the department made moves to effectively land Mr. Gulfstream. Abramovich and 99 other planes he said had recently flown to Russia.
According to prosecutors, the billionaire owns his two planes through fictitious companies registered in Jersey, Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands.
The Commerce Department said in February it changed the ownership structure to make its children the beneficiaries of the trust that eventually owns the plane.
However, he said he was still effectively controlling the planes when they flew to Moscow in March.
Despite the orders, Mr. Abramovich has not been personally sanctioned in the United States as he has been sanctioned in the United Kingdom and the European Union.