On November 7, the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) imposed sanctions against nine companies, some of which are linked to Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman. President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a corresponding decree.
Proposals regarding the introduction of restrictions were made by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
These are the following companies:
- Sogeral Foundation (under sanctions for 10 years);
- Haberfield Limited (under sanctions for 10 years);
- Alfa Finance Holdings Limited (under sanctions for 2 years);
- Erasmony Limited (under sanctions for 2 years);
- Rissa Investments Limited (under sanctions for 2 years);
- International Distribution Systems Limited (under sanctions for 2 years);
- Slavisilla Holdings Limited (under sanctions for 10 years);
- CTF Holdings SA (under sanctions for 2 years);
- Dendar Investment Fund Limited (under sanctions for 10 years).
These companies are based in Cyprus, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. Three of them — International Distribution Systems Limited, Erasmony Limited, Alfa Finance Holdings Limited — are related to Mikhail Fridman.
Fridman is one of Russiaʼs most prominent businessmen, having made billions in banking, oil and retail. In 2013, Friedman and his partners received $14 billion from the sale of the TNK-BP oil company, which is controlled by state-owned “Rosneft”. Fridman then moved to Britain to start a private equity firm that invests in businesses around the world. Britain and the European Union imposed sanctions on Friedman and his associates shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The USA imposed sanctions against him only in August 2023.
On September 5, the Security Service of Ukraine announced the suspicion of Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman for financing the Russian war in Ukraine (Part 3 of Article 110-2 of the Criminal Code).
On October 6, the court seized all corporate rights in Ukraine belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and Andrii Kosogov.