British lawyers working for City of London companies specializing in asset tracing have discovered hundreds of high-profile Russians with assets abroad who can be would be added to the international sanctions lists.
Bloomberg writes about this.
It is noted that such a move is part of international attempts to put economic pressure on the Russian Federation, as Russia continues to invade Ukraine.
Such efforts began after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, when governments around the world began the process of imposing sanctions and restrictions on oligarchs and other rich people who are considered close to the Kremlin, according to agency sources.
Bloomberg writes, that Kyiv turned to Ukrainian diplomats in London with a request to help in the search for illegal Russian assets.
They, in turn, turned to one of the firms in the City of London, and later several other firms joined the work.
It is noted that lawyers used, in particular, data on leaks, for example, documents «Panama Archives», which were checked with other sources to check whether this property was obtained legally.
At the same time, the agency does not specify which British companies were involved in collecting information about the Russians.
The list includes high-ranking, but not very public Russian officials and military personnel who own real estate and other assets worth millions of pounds in London and in the south of France, one of the sources told the agency.
Lawyers are also checking other international connections of Russians, including data on their children studying in foreign private schools.
Employees of two firms, involved in the search for Russian assets, told Bloomberg that they worked for free and handed over the lists of candidates for inclusion in the sanctions lists to the Ukrainian embassy in London.
They asked for anonymity, fearing pressure from the Russian authorities, the agency notes.
At the Ukrainian Embassy in London, the agency was told that so far «inappropriate» comment on possible future sanctions as this could «undermine their effect».