Russia sanctions: UK freezes assets of Abramovich associates

Two Russian oligarchs linked to billionaire Roman Abramovich have been sanctioned by the UK government.

Chelsea FC director Eugene Tenenbaum and David Davidovich are longstanding business associates of Mr Abramovich, who owns the club.

The pair's assets - estimated to be worth up to £10 billion in total - have been frozen.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss it was the largest asset freeze in UK history.

This will prevent their financial assets being sent back to Russia.

The total number of individuals sanctioned by the UK since February now stands at 106.

Mr Tenenbaum previously described himself as one of Mr Abramovich's closest business associates.

Corporate filings show that he took control of Evrington Investments Limited, an investment company linked to Mr Abramovich, on 24 February.

Mr Davidovich then took over the company in March. He is also subject to a travel ban, meaning he is cannot enter - or remain in - the UK.

Ms Truss said: "We are tightening the ratchet on Putin's war machine and targeting the circle of people closest to the Kremlin.

"We will keep going with sanctions until Putin fails in Ukraine. Nothing and no one is off the table."

These sanctions were co-ordinated with action taken by authorities in Jersey earlier this week.

On Tuesday, Mr Abramovich had $7bn (£5.4bn) worth of assets linked to him frozen by a Jersey court.

In the US, a Gulfstream private jet owned by Mr Abramovich has been effectively grounded as the US Commerce Department said it was one of a number of planes to contravene US sanctions.

Currently it is a criminal offence for any Russian aircraft to fly to, or land in, the UK. The government has powers to remove aircraft belonging to designated Russian individuals and entities from the UK aircraft register, even if the sanctioned individual is not on board.

Russian ships are also banned from UK ports.