Roman Abramovich’s frozen assets: the luxury yachts, cars, posh London homes and Chelsea FC

Ministers have sanctioned the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, freezing his UK assets after he was accused of supplying steel to build tanks used in the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Abramovich and fellow oligarch Oleg Deripaska were among a list of seven new individuals to be sanctioned by the Government yesterday as Boris Johnson vowed to crack down on any “safe havens” for Vladimir Putin’s allies.

The move means billions of pounds worth of UK-based assets linked to Mr Abramovich have been frozen, including Chelsea Football Club.

Announcing the fresh sanctions, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that due to their close links to Mr Putin “they are complicit in his aggression”.

She added: “The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang their heads in shame. We will not stop in this mission to ramp up the pressure on the Putin regime and choke off funds to his brutal war machine.”

In its official sanctions dossier, the Government said it has targeted Mr Abramovich because he is “associated with a person who is involved in destabilising, undermining and threatening Ukraine”.

It adds that the billionaire is accused of “undermining and threatening the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine” due to his position as a shareholder in the metal and mining business Evraz PLC.

The document states that the company has “potentially” been supplying steel to the Russian military for the production of its tanks currently deployed in Ukraine.

Trading in shares in Evraz, a London-listed company, was halted on Thursday after the sanctions were imposed.

The Financial Conduct Authority said it was suspending trading in shares “in order to protect investors pending clarification of the impact of the UK sanctions”.

Mr Abramovich has an estimated fortune of £10bn after creating his wealth through oil and metal industries starting in the 1990s after the collapse of the old Soviet Union.

He is named as individual 201 on the UK sanctions list, which subjects him to an asset freeze and travel ban as a “pro-Kremlin oligarch”.

It means his £150m mansion in the highly exclusive Kensington Palace Gardens, known as Billionaires Row and home to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will lie abandoned. Under the sanction rules, utility bills cannot be paid, security guards cannot be hired and nor can cleaners or builders as it is illegal to conduct any activity in a frozen asset.

It has also been reported that Ambramovich has been seeking buyers for a penthouse thought to be worth £30m in Chelsea Waterfront, said to be one of London’s most desirable addresses.

Provided by The i Roman Abramovich’s super yacht Solaris is seen at Barcelona earlier this month. (Photo: Albert Gea/Reuters)

His other London property interests include a £28m town house in well-healed Belgravia’s Eaton Square, which has been nicknamed Red Square due the amount of Russian-owned property.

His other assets include the £430m Solaris superyacht, which is reported to have a radar-controlled missile detection system and armoured protection.

On Thursday, it was seen heading south-east through the Mediterranean after departing from Barcelona.

Another yacht, the £540m Eclipse, was anchored off the British Virgin Islands, while Abramovich also has a Boeing 767 which comes complete with a banquet hall.

He is also reported to own a fleet of cars including a £16m Aston Martin Vulcan, a £1.7m Porche, a £1.6m Ferrari and a £1.5m Bugatti Veyron.

His ships and aircraft are now banned from entering UK ports and can be seized, while any aircraft he owns or charters are banned from flying over or landing in the UK.

Reference: Dean Kirby