Three weeks before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 4, 2022, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich began a quick reorganization of ten of his offshore trusts, which retain at least $4 billion in assets.. Thus, seven children of the billionaire became their beneficiaries, the youngest of whom is nine years old.. The Guardian writes about this after getting acquainted with the leak of files of the Cypriot company MeritServus, which helps with the management of offshore firms..

The data may indicate that by reorganizing trusts in Cyprus and Jersey, the businessman was trying to evade future restrictive measures by the West and protect his fortune from the threat of a freeze..

The total value of assets assigned to children could well exceed $4 billion. They include, in particular, shares in large Russian companies, luxury real estate, superyachts, helicopters and private jets..

According to MeritServus files, Abramovich's children received a collective 51%, and in some cases 100%, ownership interest in the trusts..

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The Guardian notes that cardinal changes in the property of a businessman occurred a few days after some Western states threatened sanctions against oligarchs from the Russian Federation in the event of a full-scale war against Ukraine.

Such actions by Abramovich could complicate efforts to enforce sanctions against him and potentially derail an asset freeze, experts say.. The changes are likely to raise the question of whether to also apply restrictions on the property of the children of the Russian oligarch.

According to the laws of the United States of America, if a sanctioned person directly or indirectly owns at least 50% of the company (Abramovich now owns less - up to 49%), then only then can his assets be frozen. There are similar rules in the UK and the European Union, which, however, allow the freezing of a company's property if a person owns a smaller share, but exercises direct or indirect control.

At the same time, experts note that establishing information about who really controls the assets, especially in opaque offshore trusts, is often a difficult task.. In addition, according to MeritServus, after the reorganization, Abramovich was prohibited from controlling the trusts in any way as a trustee or deputy..

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A former senior US official confirmed to reporters that such a reorganization of trusts could be an effective way of distancing anyone from assets threatened by a freeze..

Recall that in the spring of 2022, more than $ 7 billion belonging to Roman Abramovich were frozen in the offshore zone of the island of Jersey..

Even earlier, in March, the businessman fell under the sanctions of the European Union and Great Britain.. Subsequently, a group of Russian oligarchs, including Abramovich, tried to get rid of EU sanctions through the courts, allegedly in connection with the "