Italian police have seized the homes and boats of four high-profile Russians who have been placed on the European Union (EU) sanctions list after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials said on Saturday.
A mansion in Sardinia owned by billionaire businessman Alisher Usmanov and a mansion on Lake Como owned by Russian state TV presenter Vladimir Soloviev has been seized, a police source said.
In addition, sources confirmed that boats belonging to Russia’s richest man, Alexei Mordashov, and Gennady Timchenko, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, were seized overnight in northern Italian ports.
Russian oligarchs are believed to have bought several villas in idyllic locations in Italy over the past 20 years, and more assets are expected to be confiscated in the coming days as sanctions are enforced to force Western states to seize Russia. We do. withdraw from Ukraine.
Italian banks were instructed on Friday to immediately report all measures taken by the Bank of Italy’s Financial Intelligence Department to freeze the assets of individuals and entities on the EU list.
Uzbekistan-born metal and telecommunications magnate Usmanov is known for owning several properties in Sardinia, Italy, while Italian media say Mordashov owns a €66 million villa on the same island.
Taking into account the wealth of his entire family, Forbes magazine estimated Mordashov’s estimated net worth before the sanctions at $29.1 billion.
A judicial source said his 65-metre yacht “Lady M” was worth €65 million and was confiscated in the northwestern port of Imperia, while Timchenko’s €50 million vessel Lena was found in the vicinity of Sanremo. was confiscated in , said a judicial source.
Timchenko made a fortune in the oil business and was described by Putin as one of his closest associates.
Soloviev will claimed on Russian television When he learned last month he was in danger of losing his Italian village.
“Suddenly someone decides that this journalist is now on the sanctions list. And it affects your assets immediately. Wait a minute. But you told us that Europe has sacred property rights,” he told the Daily Beast.
While the EU acted swiftly against individuals viewed as close to the Russian government, Britain acted more slowly.
However, Boris Johnson was quoted as saying on Saturday that an amendment to Britain’s economic offenses law would be introduced in parliament on Monday to help the government move more quickly.
