London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 28, 2026

Ukraine invasion:  Billionaire ex-Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov and former Russian deputy PM hit with sanctions by UK

Ukraine invasion: Billionaire ex-Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov and former Russian deputy PM hit with sanctions by UK

Alisher Usmanov and Igor Shuvalov have become the 12th and 13th oligarchs since last week to be sanctioned by the UK over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A former major shareholder in Arsenal FC and Russia's ex-deputy prime minister have become the latest oligarchs to be sanctioned by the UK, the Foreign Office said.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Alisher Usmanov, who owned more than 30% of Arsenal before selling up to current owner Stan Kroenke in 2018, has been sanctioned.

He then developed commercial links with fellow Premier League club Everton through his firm USM, but these were suspended on Wednesday.

Mr Usmanov with Vladimir Putin in 2018


Former Russian deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov has also been sanctioned.

He is currently chairman of Russian state-owned development bank VEB.RF, which was one of three Russian banks sanctioned by the UK earlier this week.

The US also announced sanctions on the two oligarchs on Thursday.

The pair are worth a combined $19bn (£14bn), the Foreign Office said.

Both of their assets are frozen, they are banned from travelling, and no British citizen or business can deal with them under the sanctions' terms.

They have become the 12th and 13th Russian to be sanctioned by the UK over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine since last week. Eleven of them are oligarchs and the other two are Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Mr Putin and Igor Shuvalov in 2017


Boris Johnson said as long as Vladimir Putin continues his "barbaric attack on innocent Ukrainians", the UK will continue to "exert every power we have to inflict maximum economic pain on Putin and his war machine".

Ms Truss added: "Our message to Putin and his allies has been clear from day one - invading Ukraine would have serious and crippling economic consequences.

"Sanctioning Usmanov and Shuvalov sends a clear message that we will hit oligarchs and individuals closely associated with the Putin regime and his barbarous war.

"We won't stop here. Our aim is to cripple the Russian economy and starve Putin's war machine."

The latest sanctions have been imposed in coordination with the US and other allies and amount to the largest set of financial sanctions in history.

Dilbar, owned by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, seen in Monaco in 2017


Who is Alisher Usmanov?


Mr Usmanov is originally from Uzbekistan, where he was in prison for six years on fraud charges before marrying Irina Viner, a rhythmic gymnastics coach who was close to Mr Putin.

He is the founder of telecoms and extractive business USM Holdings, which was sponsoring Everton's training ground and had bought the naming rights for their new stadium.

Mr Usmanov, whose net worth is about $18.4bn (£13.8bn), owns a £10m mansion in Surrey, a £48m house in Highgate, London, a villa in Sardinia, and Dilbar - the world's largest superyacht by gross tonnage.

Dilbar was seized by Germany earlier on Thursday in Hamburg.

The White House said it has blocked Mr Usmanov from using his property in the US, and any American is also banned from using it - including his superyacht and his private jet, one of Russia's largest privately-owned aircraft.

Dilbar was seized by Germany on Thursday and placed on a dock in Hamburg


Who is Igor Shuvalov?


Mr Shuvalov owns two London flats, said to be worth £11.4m and his lavish lifestyle is well-documented, with his wife and her corgis being flown to shows across Europe in his private jet.

As well as being deputy Russian PM, he has twice worked as an aide to Mr Putin.

The US has sanctioned Mr Shuvalov's five companies, his wife Olga, his son Evgeny and his company and jet, and his daughter Maria and her company.

Also sanctioned today by the US are: Nikolai Tokarev, president of Russian pipeline company Transneft, Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, the sibling co-owners of SGM, Russia's largest pipeline construction company, former KGB agent Sergei Chemezov, CEO of state development company Rostec, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, head of a catering and restaurant business supplying the Russian military, and Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's press secretary.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Faces Binding Vote Challenge as Local Councillors Launch High Court Legal Battle
Housebuilding Across Scotland Falls to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Declarations of a Housing Emergency
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown Organizes National Innovation Summit in Manchester to Boost Regional Competitiveness
UK Government Faces Mounting Criticism Over Lack of Environmental Consultation During Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Talks
Greggs Announces Closure of Four Major Manufacturing Facilities Across Britain Resulting in Seven Hundred Forty Job Losses
British Retail Consortium Warns That Cumulative Employment and Regulatory Costs Threaten High Street Price Stability
Lloyds Banking Group Chief Executive Charlie Nunn Warns That Increased Bank Taxes Could Deter Long-Term Economic Investment
Ipsos Polling Reveals Seven in Ten Britons Expect Personal Tax Increases Amid Deep Public Economic Pessimism
Chancellor John Healey Delivers First Autumn Budget in Parliament Amid Tight Fiscal Constraints and Slower Growth Forecasts
United Kingdom Finance Monthly Review Highlights Rising Long-Term Borrowing Costs and Persistent Energy Price Pressures Across British Markets
Royal Marines Pioneer Rapid Autonomous Drone Operations During Major High North Exercise Involving NATO Allies
House of Commons Justice Committee Urges Chancellor to Align Prison and Courts Reform Ambitions With Concrete Budgetary Resources
Government Investigates Rapid Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Strategy Following Scrutiny Over Power Grid Demands and Planning Backlogs
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Warns Third-Party Supplier Breaches Threaten United Kingdom Police and Fire Service Data
Number of British Businesses in Financial Distress Reaches Highest Level in Two Decades Ahead of Fiscal Announcement
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget Amid Intense Market Scrutiny Over Fiscal Headroom and Spending Pressures
Education or Indoctrination? The Growing Debate Over Religious Participation in British Schools
Germany's Vanishing Shopfronts: The Silent Collapse of the Businesses That Built Its Cities
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Agreement on Public Transport Modernization and Cross-Border Rail Infrastructure Funding
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Approves New North Sea Carbon Capture and Storage Industrial Clusters
Office for National Statistics Reports Stabilization in Private Rental Growth Across Major English and Welsh Regional Cities
United Kingdom Automotive Manufacturing Output Rises Moderately as Electric Vehicle Assembly Lines Expand in the Midlands
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Cloud Computing Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Scottish Government Finalizes Emergency Budget Adjustments Following Multi-Year Public Sector Funding Shortfalls
National Health Service England Announces Major Emergency Care Overhaul to Alleviate Severe Winter Capacity Pressures
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Prepares Autumn Budget Amid Intensifying Scrutiny Over Public Spending and Fiscal Rules
Bank of England Signals Cautious Approach to Further Interest Rate Cuts as Persistent Wage Growth and Inflation Pressures Remain
Transport for London Unveils Expanded Zero-Emission Bus Fleet to Meet Capital Air Quality Targets
Higher Education Institutions Face Deepening Financial Strain Amid Declining International Student Enrolment
Automotive Industry Leaders Criticize Government Tax Policies and Urge Action on Retail Consumer Confidence
Environment Agency Issues Flood Alerts Across Scottish and English Waterways Following Heavy Rainfall
Independent Audit Highlights Persistent Security Vulnerabilities Across Legacy Government Digital Portals
Northern Ireland Political Leaders Clash Over Westminster Funding Allocations Ahead of Autumn Budget
Ethnic Minorities in England Face Significant Disparities in Routine Breast Cancer Diagnosis Rates
National Police Chiefs Report Alarming Surge in Domestic Abuse Cases Fuelled by Expanding Illegal Cocaine Market
Government Announces Two Hundred and Twenty Million Pound Pothole Funding Boost for Local Highway Authorities
China Issues Formal Warning Over Potential United Kingdom Restrictions on Chinese Electric Vehicles
British Defence Ministers Sign E5 Pact to Enhance European Military Capabilities and Industrial Cooperation Within NATO
United Kingdom Business Activity Expands at Fastest Pace in Eight Months According to S&P Global Flash Survey
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Major Devolution Package and Bank Profit Surcharge Ahead of Upcoming Autumn Budget
National Health Service Consultants in England Announce Two-Day Strike Action Scheduled for November
Major Clean-Up Under Way Across Britain Following Destruction Caused by Consecutive Storms Austen and Boelo
KEY TRENDS TO WATCH
Declassified Intelligence Files Reveal British Security Services Monitored National Health Service Founder
British Government Launches Sweeping Regulatory Crackdown on High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures
Scottish National Party Demands Ban on Using Scottish Revenues to Fund English Nuclear Energy Projects
Mayor of London Initiates Landmark Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street to Revitalise Global Retail Hub
British Judges Granted Expanded Legal Powers to Punish Convicted Killers Who Refuse to Attend Sentencing
United Kingdom Poised to Miss Reduced International Aid Spending Targets Ahead of Fiscal Review
Surging Cocaine Consumption Drives Record Drug Fatalities and Rising Crime Rates Across Britain
×