The United Kingdom Has Sanctioned Roman Abramovich

The UK government has sanctioned Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich as part of its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He is one of seven oligarchs who have been sanctioned with new measures including as asset freezes and travel bans.

Igor Sechin and Oleg Deripaska, both billionaires and Vladimir Putin's cronies, are also on the list.

"There can be no safe havens" for individuals who supported the invasion, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated.

The government announced that it would give a special license that would allow fixtures to be fulfilled, employees to be paid, and current ticket holders to attend games.

Ministers have been pressed to punish Mr Abramovich, who said earlier this month that he had made the "difficult decision" to sell Chelsea FC.

The football club is one of the assets blocked as part of Mr Abramovich's punishment, and its sale has been put on hold.

The government may consider granting Mr. Abramovich a special license to sell the club if he can demonstrate that he will not profit from the transaction.

Mr. Abramovich, 55, is accused of having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he denies it.

Mr Abramovich, who has a net worth of £9.4 billion, is "one of the few oligarchs from the 1990s to maintain importance under Putin," according to the authorities.

Mr. Abramovich owns shares in Evraz Steel and Norilsk Nickel. In 2005, he sold a 73% stake in Russian oil company Sibneft to state-owned gas giant Gazprom for £9.87 billion.

He is thought to own a variety of properties in the United Kingdom, including a £150 million 15-bedroom home in Kensington Palace Gardens in west London.