Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, dozens of Russian billionaires, top executives, and their family members have attempted to free themselves from sanctions. In nearly half of the cases, they have succeeded. The most successful in challenging restrictions were former executives of state banks and businesspeople who had completely severed ties with Russia. RTVI examined nearly 90 cases to determine who managed to be removed from the sanctions lists and why.
The Fight Against Sanctions: A Closer Look
When Russian businessmen and their relatives were sanctioned en masse in 2022, it seemed impossible to have these measures lifted. However, since then, dozens of high-ranking Russians have managed to get off the list—either through legal battles or administrative procedures.
RTVI analyzed court records from the EU, UK, US, Canada, and Australia, as well as publicly available data, including media reports and government registries. The analysis revealed that those with the highest chances of success were individuals who:
- Severed ties with Russia and changed their place of residence.
- Proved they were not conducting business in Russia.
- Demonstrated that the sanctions were unjustified or exploited procedural loopholes.
Additionally, the likelihood of success depended on jurisdiction—some countries proved easier than others when it came to overturning sanctions.
European Union: Individual and Family Appeals
The EU emerged as one of the most popular jurisdictions for challenging sanctions. Out of 88 cases identified by RTVI, more than half were in the European Union.
Entire families are filing lawsuits. For example, billionaire Dmitry Pumpyansky contested sanctions alongside his wife, Galina, and son, Alexander, achieving a rare success—restrictions were lifted for all three.
Racing driver Nikita Mazepin successfully proved that he was not connected to his father, Dmitry Mazepin, owner of “Uralchem.” This allowed Nikita to be removed from the sanctions list, though his father remains sanctioned.
In the EU, the chances of winning are relatively high. Of the 42 successful cases documented by RTVI across all jurisdictions studied, 18 were in the EU. This may be due to the EU’s popularity as a venue for legal challenges. On average, about 37% of cases result in a successful appeal—meaning nearly one in three lawsuits leads to sanctions being lifted.
Businesspeople Who Won Court Appeals:
- Dmitry Konov – Former head of “Sibur” (partially removed from sanctions).
- Vladimir Rashevsky – Former head of “EuroChem.”
- Sergey Mndoyants – Former top executive at AFK “Sistema.”
- Alexander Shulgin – Former head of Ozon.
Relatives of Businesspeople:
- Pavel Ezubov – Cousin of Oleg Deripaska (partially removed from sanctions).
- Maya Tokareva – Daughter of the “Transneft” CEO.
- Violetta Prigozhina – Mother of Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
However, legal action is not the only path to getting off the sanctions list. In some cases, sanctions were lifted through administrative or political decisions, which RTVI also accounted for.
For example, sanctions against former Yandex CEO Arkady Volozh, who has lived in Israel since 2014, were lifted in 2023—just months after his public anti-war statement. Similarly, restrictions were removed for ESN Group owner and RBC media holding owner Grigory Berezkin, former Northgas co-owner Farkhad Akhmedov, and billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s sister, Saodat Narzieva. However, no reasons were given for these decisions. Usmanov himself and another sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova, were denied sanction relief.
Even winning a court case does not always guarantee a permanent removal from the sanctions list. “Alfa-Group” founders Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven successfully challenged the EU sanctions imposed on them in February 2022, arguing that the accusations were insufficient. However, by March 2023, the EU re-added them to the sanctions list with new justifications.
Canada: A Safe Haven for Former Banking Executives
Sanctions-related lawsuits in Canada are not just a European phenomenon. Canada became the second most popular jurisdiction for those seeking to overturn restrictions. RTVI found 18 cases here, half of which were successful.
Among those fighting sanctions as a family is Andrey Melnichenko, co-founder of “EuroChem” and “SUEK,” along with his wife, Alexandra. Melnichenko, one of the most well-known sanctioned Russian businessmen, has been vocal about the issue, arguing in a Danish newspaper interview that sanctions not only fail to hinder Russia but even benefit it.
However, this hasn’t stopped him from trying to lift restrictions for himself and his family—though with little success. RTVI identified three Canadian cases related to Melnichenko and his wife. In two, the claimants withdrew their appeals, while the third remains pending.
Among successful Canadian cases, a pattern emerged: those who distanced themselves from Russia and public life had a higher chance of getting off the list. For example, Lev Khasis, former first deputy chairman of Sberbank, resigned just days before the start of the Ukraine conflict and left Russia in April 2022. Following him, three more former Sberbank top executives—Natalia Alymova, Alexandra Buriko, and Sergey Maltsev—were also removed from the sanctions list.
US, UK, and Australia: Fewer Cases, Higher Success Rates
While the EU and Canada saw the most attempts to challenge sanctions, cases in the US, UK, and Australia were significantly fewer in number. However, the success rate was notably higher.
Out of eight cases identified in the US, six led to sanctions being lifted. In four of those, former Russian bank executives were the claimants:
- Natalia Alymova – Former vice president of Sberbank.
- Elena Titova – Former board member of “Otkritie.”
- Ilya Brodsky – Former president of Sovcombank.
- Andrey Golikov – Former board member of “Otkritie.”
Meanwhile, Oleg Deripaska was less fortunate—he remains under US sanctions, with his assets frozen.
In the UK, seven cases were found, with four resulting in sanctions being lifted:
- Lev Khasis – Former Sberbank executive.
- Alexey Filippovsky – Deputy CEO of “Alrosa.”
- Igor Makarov – Founder of “Areti” (formerly “Itera”).
One of the most high-profile cases was the removal of Oleg Tinkov from the UK sanctions list. Unlike most claimants, he neither sued nor made public appeals. However, he was one of the few Russian businessmen to openly condemn the conflict in Ukraine and sell his business stake.
Conclusion: Is Sanctions Relief a Viable Strategy?
Even after sanctions are lifted, former sanctioned individuals face significant challenges. Assets should technically be unfrozen, but in practice, this is not always the case. Banks and business partners remain wary, fearing the reimposition of sanctions or reputational risks.
Moreover, as the cases of Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven illustrate, sanctions can be reinstated under new justifications. The process of escaping restrictions is often long, complex, and filled with uncertainties.
Despite some successes, experts interviewed by RTVI do not foresee a large-scale rollback of sanctions anytime soon—even if political landscapes change in major Western countries.
