Keir Starmer today asked "why on earth" Roman Abramovich is not facing sanctions as he claimed the Chelsea FC owner had a "public association with corrupt activity and practices".
Labour's leader hit out at Boris Johnson's decision not to slap sanctions on Russian-Israeli tycoon in the first PMQs since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Speaking in Parliament, where he cannot be sued for libel, Labour's leader made claims about the tycoon.
He said: "We must stand up to Putin and those who prop up his regime.
"Roman Abramovich is the owner of Chelsea FC and various other high-value assets in the UK.
“He’s a person of interest to the Home Office because of his links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices.
“Last week the Prime Minister said Abramovich is facing sanctions. He later corrected the record to say he isn’t. Well, why on earth isn’t he?”
Boris Johnson replied "it’s not appropriate for me to comment on individual cases at this stage," prompting groans from MPs.
Reports today suggested Roman Abramovich has put Chelsea on the market and is inviting bids from potential buyers.
The oligarch, 55, bought the Blues in 2003 and has led them to the most successful spell in their history, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League twice.
A spokesperson for Abramovich on Monday said he is attempting to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. But the spokesperson added: “Considering what is at stake, we would ask for your understanding as to why we have not commented on neither the situation as such nor his involvement.”
The Prime Minister insisted British actions are already "having an effect in Moscow", including "exposing the ownership of properties", and “sanctioning 275 individuals" including a further 100 last week. In fact the UK sanctioned 100 "individuals and entities" last week, of which five were oligarchs and the rest were companies or subsidiaries.
“The vice is tightening on the Putin regime and it shall continue to tighten," the PM said.
He also revealed the government will publish "a full list of all those associated with the Putin regime" - a new promise from the Prime Minister. But it's understood not to be expected today.
Downing Street said the aim was to "make clear even when we are not taking legislative action, people should think very carefully about how they engage with any organisations that may be assisting Putin, even inadvertently, in the attacking Ukraine."
Asked if this would include Abramovich, the PM's official spokesman said: "I can't get into specific individuals. You will appreciate there are checks and evidence that need to be gathered before we start naming individuals with regards to sanctions."
Prime Minister's Questions opened with emotional scenes as the Ukrainian Ambassador to Britain - seated in the public gallery of Parliament - was given a lengthy standing ovation and applause.
In separate exchanges, Boris Johnson said Russia has already committed war crimes in Ukraine.
"What we have seen already from Vladimir Putin’s regime, in the use of the munitions they’ve been dropping on innocent civilians, in my view already qualifies as a war crime," the Prime Minister said.
"And I know the ICC prosecutor is already investigating and I’m sure the whole House will support that."
Keir Starmer told PMQs the “cronies who prop up” Putin’s regime “dip their hands in blood”.
He named and shamed Igor Shuvalov, asking why Russian's former deputy prime minister is not on the UK sanctions list when he appears on the EU's list.
Labour’s leader said: "Last week, Putin summoned to the Kremlin the cronies who prop up his regime, they dip their hands in the blood of Putin's war.
"Among them was Igor Shuvalov, Putin's former deputy prime minister.
“Shuvalov owns two flats, not five minutes walk from this House. They're worth over £11 million.
“He is on the EU sanctions list, but he's not on the UK sanctions list.
“When will the Prime Minister sort this out?"
Boris Johnson replied: "I think the House should be proud of what we have done already. And I can tell him that there is more to be done. And thanks to the powers that this House and this Government has taken, we can sanction any individual, any company connected with the Putin regime.
"This Government was amongst the first in Europe to ban Aeroflot from our skies.
“This Government led the way last week in banning the use of Swift."
But Keir Starmer said Igor Shuvalov's flats are registered under a company owned by the Russian politician and his wife.
He said: "We only know which oligarch lurks beneath that shell company because of the information obtained and disclosed by Alexei Navalny. Navalny, of course, was poisoned by the Russian state and he now sits in a Putin jail.
"Transparency is essential to rooting out corruption. It should be built into our law but it's not. And I'm ashamed that we only know about Shuvalov's Westminster flats because a dissident risked his life. Is the Prime Minister?"
Boris Johnson replied: "The UK of course is doing everything that we can to expose ill-gotten Russian loot."
He added: "What we are bringing forward now is the exposure of the ownership of properties in London and across the whole of the UK in a way that has not been possible before .
"That I believe will continue to tighten the noose around Putin's regime."
But Keir Starmer warned laws to expose property ownership do not come into force for 18 months - "far too long for the Ukrainian people".
Labour MP Chris Bryant said: "We're not even sanctioning Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister yet. Nor Igor Osipov, the commander of the Black Sea fleet.
"Or Usmanov, Sechin, Peskov, Abramovich, Roldugin, or the members of the Russian Duma who voted for this war.
"Why don't we use Parliamentary privilege to get this out there so the lawyers can't attack the sanctions we must surely bring rapidly today?"
Britain is expected soon to announce asset freezes on further Russian banks and extend measures on Crimea to the two so-called “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine.
Sanctions against Russian parliamentarians who voted for the invasion, and all members of the Russian National Security Council, will begin in waves over the coming weeks.
The UK has now applied sanctions to around 130 Russian individuals, businesses and their main subsidiaries, with the numbers changing all the time.
Around 100 people are working on the plans within government.
It’s understood powerful lawyers have contacted the government as it hits billionaire oligarchs.
A Western official said: “You need to build these cases in a way which is legally robust.
“And unlike Russia, we’re a country that believes in the rule of law, so we need to make sure we’re working in the appropriate way.
“We do receive legal representation and we take that very seriously - but I’m very confident everything we’ve done will withstand any legal scrutiny anyone wishes to throw at it.”
