Briefing: Repurposing the £783,827.34 Recovered from Petr Aven for Survivors of the War in Ukraine

REDRESS urges the UK Government to re-direct the £783,827 recovered from sanctioned Russian oligarch Petr Aven to support survivors of the conflict in Ukraine. Petr Aven has once been described as one of “Vladimir Putin’s closest oligarchs”, with an estimated fortune of £4.5 billion, including a luxury estate outside London. On 29 July 2024, the National Crime Agency (NCA) recovered £783,287 which it argued had been held for the benefit of Mr Aven. REDRESS has long called for the repurposing of sanctions violations penalties to provide reparation for the survivors of Russia’s war. The forfeiture of Petr Avens’ funds provides a unique opportunity for the UK Government to act on this recommendation and make significant funds available to survivors of the conflict in Ukraine