Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

Ukraine invasion:  Billionaire ex-Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov and former Russian deputy PM hit with sanctions by UK

Ukraine invasion: Billionaire ex-Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov and former Russian deputy PM hit with sanctions by UK

Alisher Usmanov and Igor Shuvalov have become the 12th and 13th oligarchs since last week to be sanctioned by the UK over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A former major shareholder in Arsenal FC and Russia's ex-deputy prime minister have become the latest oligarchs to be sanctioned by the UK, the Foreign Office said.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Alisher Usmanov, who owned more than 30% of Arsenal before selling up to current owner Stan Kroenke in 2018, has been sanctioned.

He then developed commercial links with fellow Premier League club Everton through his firm USM, but these were suspended on Wednesday.

Mr Usmanov with Vladimir Putin in 2018


Former Russian deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov has also been sanctioned.

He is currently chairman of Russian state-owned development bank VEB.RF, which was one of three Russian banks sanctioned by the UK earlier this week.

The US also announced sanctions on the two oligarchs on Thursday.

The pair are worth a combined $19bn (£14bn), the Foreign Office said.

Both of their assets are frozen, they are banned from travelling, and no British citizen or business can deal with them under the sanctions' terms.

They have become the 12th and 13th Russian to be sanctioned by the UK over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine since last week. Eleven of them are oligarchs and the other two are Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Mr Putin and Igor Shuvalov in 2017


Boris Johnson said as long as Vladimir Putin continues his "barbaric attack on innocent Ukrainians", the UK will continue to "exert every power we have to inflict maximum economic pain on Putin and his war machine".

Ms Truss added: "Our message to Putin and his allies has been clear from day one - invading Ukraine would have serious and crippling economic consequences.

"Sanctioning Usmanov and Shuvalov sends a clear message that we will hit oligarchs and individuals closely associated with the Putin regime and his barbarous war.

"We won't stop here. Our aim is to cripple the Russian economy and starve Putin's war machine."

The latest sanctions have been imposed in coordination with the US and other allies and amount to the largest set of financial sanctions in history.

Dilbar, owned by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, seen in Monaco in 2017


Who is Alisher Usmanov?


Mr Usmanov is originally from Uzbekistan, where he was in prison for six years on fraud charges before marrying Irina Viner, a rhythmic gymnastics coach who was close to Mr Putin.

He is the founder of telecoms and extractive business USM Holdings, which was sponsoring Everton's training ground and had bought the naming rights for their new stadium.

Mr Usmanov, whose net worth is about $18.4bn (£13.8bn), owns a £10m mansion in Surrey, a £48m house in Highgate, London, a villa in Sardinia, and Dilbar - the world's largest superyacht by gross tonnage.

Dilbar was seized by Germany earlier on Thursday in Hamburg.

The White House said it has blocked Mr Usmanov from using his property in the US, and any American is also banned from using it - including his superyacht and his private jet, one of Russia's largest privately-owned aircraft.

Dilbar was seized by Germany on Thursday and placed on a dock in Hamburg


Who is Igor Shuvalov?


Mr Shuvalov owns two London flats, said to be worth £11.4m and his lavish lifestyle is well-documented, with his wife and her corgis being flown to shows across Europe in his private jet.

As well as being deputy Russian PM, he has twice worked as an aide to Mr Putin.

The US has sanctioned Mr Shuvalov's five companies, his wife Olga, his son Evgeny and his company and jet, and his daughter Maria and her company.

Also sanctioned today by the US are: Nikolai Tokarev, president of Russian pipeline company Transneft, Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, the sibling co-owners of SGM, Russia's largest pipeline construction company, former KGB agent Sergei Chemezov, CEO of state development company Rostec, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, head of a catering and restaurant business supplying the Russian military, and Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's press secretary.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
×