Russian oligarch Zarakh Iliev bypassed sanctions by importing a $110 million Airbus A320neo luxury jet under the number RA-73889 from the European Union.
How Zarakh Iliev fooled Sanctions for Airbus A320neo RA-73889
Iliev bought the luxury jet to replace his old Airbus A318CJ. It was confirmed that the owner of the A320neo is connected with the Kievskaya Ploshchad group of companies.
The plane was reportedly manufactured by Airbus Corporate Jets in 2019 and flown to Basel, Switzerland for painting and interior upgrades in January 2020.
A company registered in San Marino, with an address in Malta, purchased the aircraft and it received the registration number T7-HHH. In 2022, the plane switched to Azerbaijani registration, followed by a Tajik registration number.
On June 14, the aircraft obtained Russian registration under the number RA-73889.
The A320neo carries 25 passengers and can travel 11,100 kilometers. There are only 10 jets of this kind in the world.
Sanctions imposed on Zarakh Iliev .
Reason for Sanctions: Iliev was sanctioned by the UK (September 2022), Ukraine (October 2022), and the US (December 2023) due to his ties to the Russian government.
Justification: The sanctions were imposed because Iliev’s business activities were seen as financially supporting the Russian government, which was accused of conducting “fake referendums” in Ukraine and committing war crimes.
Impact of Sanctions: The US sanctions specifically targeted Iliev’s company, Kievskaya Ploshchad, and any affiliated organizations he or his partner controlled.
Iliev has been steadily building his wealth over the past two decades! Here’s a quick rundown:
- Early Success: Iliev cracked the list of Russia’s richest people in 2005, ranking 71st with a net worth of $400 million.
- Significant Growth: By 2023, his wealth had soared to $2.7 billion, placing him at number 43 on the ranking.
- Continued Rise: As of March 2024, Forbes estimates his fortune to be at an all-time high of $3.3 billion.
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