the Russian oligarchs They don’t care and keep flying with theirs jet within the European Union despite the sanctions and flight bans imposed on Russia following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. It is an investigation by The Guardian in collaboration with Occrp (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project), a consortium of investigative centres, media and journalists operating in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Central America to shed light on the movements to bring many Russian billions between Igor Shuvalov (former Deputy Prime Minister), Alisher Usmanov and Roman Abramovich to name a few of the biggest names.
Shuvalov’s trajectories
The flight routes with takeoffs and landings of the Russian oligarchs could be tracked by means of radar: while the bans were observed in some cases, other movements showed the exact opposite. As we have seen on Giornale.it, besides the United Arab Emirates, which is very popular as a financial and recreational center, the most popular places to hide away are Dubai, the Caribbean and Moscow. However, the Jets joined Shuvalov They were followed as they flew in and out of some EU airports after the blockade imposed on February 23. His “Bombardier Global Express flew several times between Geneva, Munich, Paris, Milan and Helsinki after that date, as shown by Flightradar24 data.
Where Usmanov moved to
The billionaire Alisher Usmanov, one of Putin’s loyal oligarchs, who crosses the waters of the Costa Smeralda every summer in his megayacht, whose Mercedes “Maybach S650 Guard VR10” was recently confiscated, registered as a bombproof van and armored vehicle and worth 533,000 euros, also flew his jets after one Ban on EU airspace by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to data from ADSB Exchange, a website that collects data from realtime aircraft transponders. Usmanov’s Airbus A340, which landed at Olbia Airport every summer, took off from Munich on the evening of February 28, the day after the flight ban was imposed and the same day Usmanov was added to the list of lockdown sanctions. His other jet took off from Florence on the same day bound for Uzbekistan, but the radar signal was cut off in parts of Turkmenistan.
“No offense”
A spokesman for Usmanov said the sanctions against the oligarch were based on “wrong” assumptions about the relationship with the Kremlin, adding that his assets, including private jets, had been transferred to irrevocable funds well before sanctions were imposed on the billionaire. “we deny that there has been misconduct or an attempt to prevent the assets from being sanctioned,” the spokesman said, as pointed out by The Guardian. “Regarding compliance with aircraft departure rules, our detailed legal analysis did not identify any violations. As far as we know, the departure was in accordance with the permission of the competent authority of the country from which the plane took off,” the spokesman said.
Where Abramovich flew
Long before you experience alleged poisoning after exposure to a harmful chemical agent, Abramovich He had escaped western sanctions by securing his yachts in Turkey, including the Ecplise, the second longest in the world. Things went awry, however, as jets linked to the Russian oligarch flew “surprised” even in the weeks following the invasion of Ukraine. One, a Bombardier Global 6000, is now stationary in Latvia as the authorities have refused take off pending confirmation of its ownership by the Luxembourg authorities where the aircraft is registered. A close associate of Abramovich, Eugene Shvidler, also suffered the seizure of two jets by British authorities at London’s Biggin Hill and Farnborough airports. In the first case, the flight was carried out on February 27th, in the second on March 4th with the flight ban in the UK having come into force two days earlier.
What are the penalties
the norms EU sanctions allow those affected by the restrictions to make payments to cover “basic needs” like legal fees, but make no mention of expenses associated with moving private planes, such as buying fuel for planes. If they can’t take off, how can they refuel with “western” fuel? It is clear that someone at Union airports admitted and supplied them. Here, too, remains a small mystery.