Oligarch’s lawyers say UK caused serious hardship by freezing assets

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A Russian billionaire who is a close associate of the former owner of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich, has launched a legal challenge against UK government sanctions imposed on him in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The case is the first to be launched in the British courts by a Russian sanctioned following the invasion of Ukraine, and could serve as a test case for other oligarchs seeking to overturn restrictions such as travel bans or asset freezes.