On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced sanctions against seven additional Russian oligarchs and their families, as well as Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
The administration will also place visa restrictions on 19 of the oligarchs, 47 family members, and close friends as part of its continued crackdown against Putin’s rich inner circle following Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.
Alisher Borhanovich Usmanov is one of Russia’s richest men, and was also a confidant in Putin. As was Igor Shuvalov, the former Russian deputy prime minister who flies his wife’s corgis on their private jet.
According to the White House, “These oligarchs were known for directing, authorizing, funding, substantially supporting, or carrying out malign activities in support Russia’s foreign policy destabilizing.”
According to the White House, these people and their relatives will be disconnected from the U.S. banking system. Their assets and assets within the United States will also be frozen. They will also have their property blocked.
Additionally, the administration indicated that additional sanctions could be imposed on Russian billionaires.
In Ukraine on Thursday, its two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, remained under a heavy bombing campaign overnight with missiles striking civilian areas – including a train station in the Ukrainian capital being used to evacuate people from the city and as a shelter for those who cannot or have chosen not to leave.
Even though they are all but surrounded and under heavy bombardment by Russian forces, Chernihiv in the west and Mariupol in the south remain under Ukrainian control.
In addition to the announcement of additional sanctions, the Biden administration seeks additional $10 billion for emergency funds to aid the nation.
Today I announce that we have added dozens of Russian billionaires to our list. Additionally, more than 50 Russian oligarchs along with their families will be banned from traveling to America. Biden stated that the United States will continue to provide direct support to the Ukrainian population.
Biden stated that sanctions were designed to have the greatest impact possible on Russia and Putin, and the least damage on the United States and its allies.
Biden pledged to pursue the “ill-gotten gains” of Russian oligarchs in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night. This included their private jets and luxury apartments as well as yachts.
The Justice Department also announced Wednesday that a task force named ‘Kleptocapture’ was being created to target billionaires with high-priced items.
A SET OF OLIGARCHS ARE TARGETED
Alisher Buhanovich Usmanov is worth $14.3 million USD
Alisher Ushmanov (Russia’s richest individual) is close to Putin.
Ushmanov is one of Russia’s wealthiest individuals and a close ally of Putin. He has been sanctioned by the European Union.
His riches were derived from metal mining and investing in the Soviet Union’s fall.
His property will be blocked from use in the United States and by U.S. persons – including his superyacht, one of the world’s largest, and just seized by Germany, and his private jet, one of Russia’s largest privately-owned aircraft.
His yacth, with an estimated value of £600million, remains at shipyards in the northern city of Hamburg where it has been for a refitting job since late October.
Dilbar was custom-built for Usmanov by German shipbuilder Lürssen and took 52 months to finish.
This yacht is the biggest by volume in the world and can accommodate over 100 crew members and passengers in 58 cabins.
German authorities have taken possession of the megayacht belonging to Alisher Usmanov, a Russian billionaire sanctioned by Russia
Usmanov’s aircraft, M-IABU, is an Airbus A340-300 worth between $350 and $500 million
Alisher Usmanov and Irina Viner were the head coaches of Russia’s rhythmic gymnastics national team in November 2018.
The yacht is part Usmanov’s Multibillion Pound fortune. This includes holdings in iron ore giant Metalloinvest, consumer electronics firm Xiaomi and stakes at steel giant Metalloinvest.
M-IABU is an Airbus A340300-300 aircraft with serial number 955. According to estimates, the jet cost $350-$500 million. Bourkhan is Usmanov’s father’s surname. In the registration, it says “I’m Alisher Bukhanovich Usmanov.”
As recently as 2018, the 68-year-old had a 30 per cent stake in Arsenal FC but sold out to American owner Stan Kroenke.
He also owns Beechwood House in the Highgate area of north London and Sutton Place in Surrey – collectively worth over £200million.
Former fencer, he was the president of the Russian Fencing Federation.
His wife Irina Viner, head coach of Russia’s national rhythmic gymnastics team, is close to Putin.
Dmitry Peskov worth $10,000,000 USD
Peskov serves as President Putin’s press secretary. The White House described him as a ‘top purveyor Putin’s lies.
Peskov’s wealth is a matter of debate as well as how Tatiana Navka and he seem to be able afford a luxurious lifestyle.
Navka, a gold medalist ice dancer for Russia who was awarded the title of champion at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She was a Russian citizen and lived in America for over ten years.
They both had children from prior relationships. A daughter was also born in August 2014.
Tatiana Navka was Peskov’s wife and won Olympic gold for skating. Tatiana Navka (right), Peskov’s wife won Olympic Gold in Skating
Navka has been able to cash in her gold and she is now a successful TV and advertising star.
The Guardian discovered that Navka purchased a Rublyovka property, a forested area to the west of Moscow, in October 2014.
Putin has trusted Peskov for over 20 years.
In discussions with Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, he was also involved in a potential Trump Moscow property deal. This project did not come to fruition.
Nikolai Tokarev, valued at $12 million
Nikolai Tokarev is president of the Russian pipeline company Transneft, the largest oil pipeline company in the world
Tokarev’s wife Galina and daughter Mayya are under sanction.
His title is President of Transneft Russian Pipeline Company, which is the biggest oil pipeline company worldwide.
Transneft has 43,000 miles worth of trunk pipes and transports around 80% and 30% respectively of Russian oil products.
Although the United States has been stomping on Russia’s primary source of income, its oil and gas, Jen Psaki (White House Press Secretary) stated that she does not support banning Russian oil products and gasoline.
Tokarev and his connections with the U.S. government have been a boon to Tokarev’s daughter and wife.
Maiya Tokareva’s real estate empire has been valued at more than $50 million in Moscow, Russia. One of her firms owns prime waterfront real estate in Croatia on an island with a villa that Franz Joseph I built.
Boris Rotenberg is worth $1.2 Billion USD
Boris Rotenberg and his brother co-own a large construction business
Rotenberg and Karina Rotenberg are both on the sanctioned list, as is Boris and Roman, their sons.
Rotenberg and his brother Arkady co-own the SGM (StroyGazMontazh) group, the largest construction company for gas pipelines and electrical power supply lines in Russia.
Forbes listed him as Russia’s number 69 wealthiest person for 2016. He is close to Putin.
Putin and he both trained together in Judo. Boris Rotenberg is 65 and was trained as a martial artist trainer until the 1990s. He currently serves as vice president for Russia’s Judo Federation.
He is a married father of five and supports the SMP Racing Project which helps young Russian drivers.
Katerina, his wife, broadcasts their luxury lifestyle to over 28,000 followers on Instagram. She includes photos of Katerina competing in horse riding and relaxing on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea.
Her toned figure is displayed with captions that read “sports are my photoshop” and she also appears on Russian Tatler’s cover.
Boris was claimed by the US Treasury to have received millions of pounds in contracts from Gazprom, for roads, and other infrastructure, which were used in Sochi’s 2014 Winter Olympics.
Boris Rotenberg with Karina Rotenberg, his wife
Arkady Rotenberg, worth $3.1 billion USD
Arkady Rotenberg became a billionaire through lucrative state-sponsored construction projects and oil pipelines
Rotenberg’s sons Pavel, Igor, and Liliya were also approved.
His lucrative state-sponsored oil pipelines and construction projects made him a millionaire.
Rotenberg was implicated in the leak of The Pandora Papers. He was accused of facilitating and maintaining complex offshore wealth networks for Russian elites.
Putin’s childhood friend, he is Rotenberg. Rotenberg was with Putin several times per week after he returned from the KGB.
Rahi is the owner of a Benetti 65-meter yacht measuring 65 meters. To pay previous rounds of sanctions, he had to sell off his private jet.
Igor Rotenberg is a father-of-3 and 48-year old son. He was granted a number of assets by Arkady Rotenbergr in 2014, which made him a billionaire.
Sergei Chemezov worth $400 millions USD
Sergei Chemezov and Putin met while they were both in the KGB.
Chemezov, along with his stepdaughter Anastasiya and son Stanislav are being sanctioned.
Rostec Corporation is a Russian defense conglomerate owned by the Russian government. Its CEO is based in Moscow.
Chemezov, a former KGB agent who was also a high-ranking general in his own right, became friends with Putin while they were both stationed together in East Germany during the 1980s.
Putin made Chemezov a billionaire when he became the President of Russia. Putin appointed Chemezov as Rostec’s CEO in 2007. Rostec’s new fighter jet, the ‘Checkmate’ was developed during his tenure.
The company was established in late 2007 to promote and export products for civil and defense sectors. Russia ranks second in terms of global military products suppliers, after the United States.
According to the Pandora Papers, Chemezov was able to reveal that his family owned a lot of offshore wealth. This included a superyacht.
Igor Shuvalov, worth $200 million USD
Igor Shuvalov was the former Russian first deputy prime Minister
Shuvalov and five of his companies, Olga Shuvalov and Evgeny, as well as his company and plane, as well his daughter Maria, are all listed on the sanctons’ list.
He is Russia’s former deputy prime Minister.
Because first class is too difficult for Corgi dog owners, it was claimed that he uses his secret private plane to fly Corgi and his wife’s Corgi around Europe during competitions.
Alexei Navalny (anti-corruption activist and lawyer) said that the names of these dogs include Andvol Pinkerton.
Shuvalov served as a minister and was considered to be the richest member of Putin’s government.
His daughter Maria, a ballerina, has earned almost $26 million a year from a mysterious second money source.
Maria Shuvalova (22) is a Bolshoi Ballet Dancer and makes over $100,000 each day in her role as ‘capital asset manager’.
Shuvalov uses his private jet secretly to fly Corgi dogs for his wife across Europe
Maria Shuvalova (left) with her father Igor Shuvalov. Maria is a ballet dancer, but she also does ‘capitol assets management’.
Maria Shuvalova (22), a Bolshoi Ballet dancer and the daughter of one Putin’s close allies, made $29 million in 2018. Earnings came from “capital asset management”
BAZA media’s January investigation found she was being paid by KSP Capital Asset Management. KSP Capital Asset Management is a company that has been linked to Sergei Kotlyarenko.
Maria is not an employee, though the company has assets that exceed 600 individuals.
The current employer of her father, VEB.RF (Russia’s state-owned development corporation) insisted that he had always strictly adhered to rules for government employees and directed BAZA’s questions to the KSP.
BAZA stated that Maria could claim to be Russia’s wealthiest ballerina.
Yevgeniy Privozhin is worth as much as $5 Million USD
Yevgeniy Privozhin is Putin’s “chef” because he eats in his restaurants.
All three of Prigozhin’s companies and Polina his wife are sanctioned.
Putin called Prigozhin ‘Putin’s chef’ as his restaurants and catering companies hosted dinners that Putin attended along with other dignitaries. According to reports, he has received more than $200 billion in government contracts.
Prigozhin is the owner of a “network of companies,” including three that are accused of interfering in 2016 US elections.
Criminal charges were filed against 13 Russians and two Russian companies on Friday, as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. The indictment states that Prigozhin was the one who led this effort.
The FBI claims he used his businesses, Concord Catering and Concord Management and Consulting, to fund the Internet Research Agency, known as the ‘Kremlin Troll factory’ which was the vehicle for the alleged interference.
Prigozhin allegedly “directs the production of content to denigrate U.S. elections and funds Russian interference attempts while also trying to evade sanctions through standing up for and shell companies both inside and outside Russia,” according to U.S. government charges.
At your service: Prigozhinm is the preferred caterer at official Kremlin events. Above: Putin is served by Prigozhin in 2011.