US targets second Abramovich plane for sanctions violations

WASHINGTON: US authorities on Friday (May 20) moved additional planes suspected of violating sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, including a second plane belonging to businessman Roman Abramovich.
The Commerce Department said a 787 Dreamliner owned by Abramovich likely violated U.S. export controls, after identifying a first plane in March belonging to the Russian businessman suspected of violating restrictions.
She also said she was issuing an order denying export privileges to Rossiya Airlines due to continued export violations, the fifth Russian airline to which she has done so.
The Commerce Department has warned that providing any service to aircraft subject to its Export Administration Regulations (EAR) that may have violated these controls requires US government authorization.
Failure to do so could result in “substantial jail time, fines, loss of export privileges or other restrictions,” the Commerce Department said.
“By preventing these planes from receiving any service, including from abroad, international flights from Belarus or Russia on these planes are effectively grounded,” the department said.
The department is “further updating the tail numbers of aircraft already on the list that flew into Russia and/or Belarus in apparent violation of the EAR.”
The department previously denied export privileges to Russian airlines Aeroflot, Azur Air, UTair and Aviastar.
The United States has hit Russia with a wide range of sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine in February. Russia called its military action a “special operation”.