The United Kingdom has blocked the use of another jet with links to Russian oligarchs, the transport minister said as part of efforts to crack down on those who have benefited from Vladimir Putin’s regime. Grant Shapps did not give further details about the aircraft or its ownership, but said the move took place on Saturday morning. He added that the United Kingdom “will not stand by and watch those who have made millions through Putin’s lives live in peace as innocent blood is shed.” It comes after the grounding of a private jet with possible connections to Russia on March 19.
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In this incident, the Cessna aircraft was prevented from taking off from London’s Biggin Hill airport, while it was investigated whether it did not fall into sanctions that banned all aircraft connected to Russia. On March 8, a private jet suspected of being linked to a Russian oligarch was hijacked at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire, hours before the scheduled flight to Dubai. The plane was ordered by Mr Saps to investigate his relationship with billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, a friend of Roman Abramovich. A government source said Schwindler, who was later added to the UK sanctions list, was “free to continue his journey by other means” following the seizure of the plane. Mr Saps said on March 8 that he was making it a criminal offense for planes owned, operated or chartered by Russians, including private jets, to enter UK airspace following Mr Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. We will not stand by and watch those who have made millions living under the auspices of Putin peacefully as innocent blood is shed. A 38 38m super yacht was also held in London this week. British officials boarded the Phi – owned by a Russian businessman – at Canary Wharf in east London on Tuesday. The ship was the first to be detained in the United Kingdom under sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine. Mr Saps told the PA news agency at the time that the boat was in London for “repair” but “would not go anywhere”. He said: “It’s just another sign that we will not stand by while Putin’s friends are allowed to sail around the world on this kind of yacht and people in Ukraine are suffering. “When you see what he does in Ukraine, when you see what he does in people’s lives, it may not be right to have a yacht like this one in London, which can just sail, and that is why we seized it and denied its ability. to go anywhere right now. “
