EU top court upholds sanctions against Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich

The European Union's top court on Wednesday upheld sanctions against Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich that had been placed upon him after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

After President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the EU sanctioned Russian officials and a host of Russian businessmen, such as Abramovich, while freezing hundreds of billions of dollars of Russian assets.

Abramovich had launched a legal challenge against this.

"The General Court dismisses the action brought by Mr Abramovich, thereby upholding the restrictive measures taken against him," said the EU's top court in a ruling.

Abramovich, who also holds Israeli citizenship and is a former owner of Chelsea soccer club, became one of the world's most powerful businessmen after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. Forbes estimates his net worth at $9.2 billion.