Jets linked to Russian oligarchs appear to have kept flying despite sanctions
Private jets linked to Russian oligarchs and officials appeared to continue flying into and out of EU and UK airports despite flight bans and sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a Guardian data investigation found.
The investigation, in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), identified and tracked jets linked to sanctioned businesspeople and officials including Roman Abramovich, Alisher Usmanov and Igor Shuvalov, a former Russian deputy prime minister.
While some plane movements appeared to comply with airspace bans and sanctions, including asset freezes, others appeared to escape restrictions.
Guardian analysis also showed jets linked to Russians under sanctions flew to the United Arab Emirates in greater numbers during the week after the start of the invasion than any other week of 2022.
The UAE is popular with Russians as a finance and leisure centre.
Jets linked to Shuvalov were tracked flying into and out of EU airports after sanctions were imposed by the bloc on 23 February, the day before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
His Bombardier Global Express jet, registration LX-ABC, made several flights between Geneva, Munich, Paris, Milan and Helsinki after that date, according to data provided by the flight tracking service Flightradar24. The records do not include details of who was on board the plane, which typically sells for $10m (£7.6m).
EU sanctions rules allow those targeted by the restrictions to make payments to meet “basic needs” such as legal fees but do not mention expenses associated with the movements of private planes, such as buying jet fuel.
The Uzbekistan-born billionaire Usmanov, a major sponsor of Everton football club and a former 30%
Read more on theguardian.com
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