UK government sanctions two of Roman Abramovich’s ‘closest associates’
Eugene Tenenbaum, Chelsea FC's director who previously took part in March of the Living, is one of two sanctioned in latest announcement.
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The Government has announced new sanctions against two of Roman Abramovich’s closest associates.
Jewish Russian oligarchs Eugene Tenenbaum and David Davidovich, have both had an estimated £10 billion in assets frozen, Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss has announced.
Eugene Tenenbaum has previously described himself as one of Chelsea FC owner Abramovich’s closest business associates and is a director at the West London based football club.
Corporate filings show that Tenenbaum took control of Evrington Investments Limited, an Abramovich-linked investment company, on 24 February immediately following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
David Davidovich has been described by Forbes as “Abramovich’s much lower profile right hand man”, and took over Evrington Investments from Tenenbaum in March 2022.
He is subject to an asset freeze and travel ban.
The announcement brings the total number of oligarchs, family members and associates sanctioned by the UK to 106 since February.
Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss announced the Government will freeze assets connected with the pair estimated to total up to £10 billion, the largest asset freeze action in UK history.
This will prevent these assets from being repatriated to Russia and used to fund Putin’s war machine.
In addition a travel ban has been placed on Davidovich.
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 have been co-ordinated with action taken by the Jersey authorities earlier this week to impose a formal freezing order on assets suspected to be connected to Abramovich himself, valued in excess of £5 billion.
The government said sanctions imposed by the UK and its international partners are having deep and damaging consequences for Putin’s ability to wage war.
Analysis shows Russia is heading for the deepest recession since the collapse of the Soviet Union with £275 billion – 60% of Russian foreign currency reserves – currently frozen.
In 2019, Tenenbaum was part of the Chelsea delegation to take part in the March of the Living annual event in remembrance of the Holocaust.
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