Roman Abramovich ready to fight UK government over proceeds from £2.5bn Chelsea sale

Roman Abramovich at a Chelsea match in 2017. His lawyers say he remains fully committed to using the money from the club’s sale for charitable purposes. Photograph: Paul Marriott/Alamy

The Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has stepped up his row with the British government over the £2.5bn proceeds of his sale of Chelsea FC, insisting that the money is his to allocate despite the international sanctions imposed on his assets.

The UK and EU imposed sanctions on Abramovich in 2022, freezing his assets in response to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, citing his ties to Vladimir Putin’s regime.