NEW YORK: A US court on Monday issued warrants for the seizure of two luxury planes owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich under US measures imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, court records showed.
A federal judge in Manhattan issued the warrants on the grounds that recent flights violated US export controls imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. The US Department of Commerce filed related administrative charges against Abramovich. The Commerce Department said that the Gulfstream flew from Istanbul to Moscow on Mar 12, left the following day for Tel Aviv and flew from Istanbul to Moscow again on Mar 15. The Boeing flew from Dubai to Moscow on Mar 4, the department said.
"Russian oligarchs such as Abramovich will not be permitted to violate US export regulations without consequence," Commerce official John Sonderman said in a statement.