Boris Johnson Releases Statement After Handing Out Sanctions To Roman Abramovich

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today targeted seven Russian oligarchs who "have supported [Vladimir] Putin's invasion" of Ukraine with fresh sanctions - including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Announcing the news via his

There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin's invasion.Today's sanctions are the latest step in our ruthless pursuit of those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of Ukraine.

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) " target="_blank">official Twitter account, the measures will effectively seize Abramovich's UK assets, with Chelsea football club being among them.

Worth around £9 billion, the Russian brought Chelsea back in 2003, ushering in a new era of big money in football. The Blues would go on to lift the Premier League and FA Cup five times, as well as the Champions League on two separate occasions during Abramovich's reign.

Nevertheless, his alleged close ties to Russian President Putin gave the UK government little option but to impose sanctions, which could have a profound impact on Chelsea Football Club.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have been offered a special licence to continue with "football-related activities", but the new sanctions on the club could still have a crippling effect.

With Abramovich selling a 73% stake in Russian oil firm Sibneft to state-owned gas titan Gazprom for £9.87 billion in 2005, his ties to the Kremlin are well established. As the UK government announcement states: "He [Abramovich] is one of the few oligarchs from the 1990s to maintain prominence under Putin."

"Today's sanctions show once again that oligarchs and kleptocrats have no place in our economy or society. With their close links to Putin they are complicit