Seizure Warrant Issued for Two Russian-owned Jets

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has issued a seizure warrant for two private jets owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the aircraft, a Boeing BBJ 787-8 and a Gulfstream G650ER, are subject to “seizure and forfeiture based on probable-cause violations of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) and the recent sanctions issued against Russia.”

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued sanctions against it. They include expanded prohibitions on the export, re-export, or in-country transfer of U.S.-manufactured aircraft and aircraft parts to or within Russia without a BIS license. They also eliminate any license exception for aircraft owned, controlled, or under charter or lease by Russia or a Russian national.

The DOJ noted that the two aircraft—owned and controlled by Abramovich through a series of shell companies in Cyprus, Jersey, and the British Virgin Islands—were flown from a foreign country to Russia, violating the ECRA. The 787 (P4-BDL), worth approximately $350 million, was flown to Russia without a BIS license on March 4, and currently is in the UAE, while the G650ER (LX-RAY), which remains in Russia, was flown there on March 12 and 15.