French Finance Ministry Seizes Villas Of Russia's Deripaska, Bazhaev On Riviera - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2022) The French authorities, as part of the implementation of anti-Russian sanctions, arrested three villas located in the south of the country and allegedly owned by Russian entrepreneurs, the Nice-Matin newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The list of properties confiscated by the French economy and finance ministry includes the "Hercules" villa in the Saint-Tropez resort area on the French Riviera. This mansion has belonged to Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska since 2005, according to the report.

The confiscated villa in the vicinity of Biarritz belongs to a member of the board of Sibur petrochemical company Kirill Shamalov. The list of frozen properties also includes the "Trianon" villa near the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the Riviera, which is a copy of the Palace of Versailles.

According to Nice Matin, the villa belongs to the Russian Platinum Chairman Musa Bazhaev.

According to the BFMTV broadcaster, four yachts, six helicopters and about 30 luxury properties have been arrested in France since the start of the anti-Russian sanctions campaign.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. In response, the EU rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media, and financial institutions.