This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
U.S. authorities have charged Russian businessman Roman Abramovich with exporting two planes without a license as required under U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S. Commerce Department said on June 6 that Abramovich named his Russian children the beneficiaries of the shell entities that own the two aircraft — a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Gulfstream G650 ER executive jet. But Abramovich in fact continued to control them, it said.
The U.S. Justice Department moved to seize the two planes, which the department said had been flown into Russian territory earlier this year in violation of U.S. export controls.
A federal magistrate judge signed a warrant authorizing the seizure of the Boeing jet, which has undergone a lavish customization bringing its estimated value to $350 million, and the Gulfstream, which has an estimated value of $60 million.
An FBI affidavit said the Gulfstream is believed to have been in Moscow since March 15. The Boeing jet is believed to be in Dubai following a round-trip flight on March 4 from Dubai to Moscow, the affidavit said.
A Justice Department official said that the planes were known as “tainted assets.”
“We will take active steps to pursue seizure, and we’ll keep an eye out to see if they move jurisdictions,” said Andrew Adams, director of the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture task force.
The charges come as U.S. authorities seek to pressure business leaders close to Russian President Vladimir Putin to convince Moscow to halt the war in Ukraine.
U.S. President Joe Biden promised after Russia invaded Ukraine to pursue the “ill-gotten gains” of Russian oligarchs and elites.
Abramovich has not personally been placed under sanctions by the United States, but he has been by the British government and forced to sell London’s Chelsea soccer club.
A consortium led by the part-owner of the professional baseball team in Los Angeles completed its purchase of the English club last week.
