US Moves to Seize 2 Planes Owned by Russian Billionaire

A US court has issued an order to seize two planes at the request of the FBI, which accused Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich of violating sanctions by re-exporting the planes to Russia.

I agree that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the property mentioned is subject to civil seizure and confiscation, Sarah Cave, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said.

The decision applies to the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and the Gulfstream G650ER.

The FBI alleges that both jets are owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich through a chain of companies, which transferred them to Russia after anti-Russian sanctions took effect, requiring prior approval for re-export.

A week after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Abramovich said he would sell the renowned London professional soccer club Chelsea, which he had owned for nearly two decades, and use proceeds to “benefit all victims of the war in Ukraine.”

The British government in May approved Chelsea’s sale to Todd Boehly, a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, for more than $3 billion. It is reportedly the highest price ever paid for a sports team.