Britain said on Thursday it had imposed asset freezes on seven Russian businessmen including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Igor Sechin, Oleg Deripaska and Dmitri Lebedev have also been added to the country’s sanctions list.
There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin’s “vicious assault on Ukraine,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
Mr Abramovich is the billionaire owner of Chelsea soccer club, Mr Deripaska has stakes in En+ Group and Mr Sechin is the Chief Executive of Rosneft and Lebedev is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank Rossiya.
The UK government said it would enable Chelsea to continue playing matches and engage in other footballing activities following the move to freeze assets.
“The licence will be kept under constant review and we will work closely with the football authorities,” the government said.
Described as a pro-Kremlin oligarch, Mr Abramovich was hit with an asset freeze and a travel ban in an updated sanctions list published on Thursday after ministers came under sustained pressure to target him.
The Government document says he has had a “close relationship for decades” with the Russian President.
“This association has included obtaining a financial benefit or other material benefit from Putin and the Government of Russia,” it says.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said Mr Putin’s attacks on Ukraine involved “new levels of evil by the hour” and the Government had announced further sanctions “against individuals linked to the Russian Government”.
“This list includes Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club,” she said.
She acknowledged this would have an impact on the premiership side but a special licence would enable it to continue operating.
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