Alisher Usmanov

Alisher Usmanov is an Uzbek-born Russian businessman associated with metals, telecommunications and USM Holdings. Sanctions imposed on him after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine make his case principally one of designation, ownership tracing and private adaptation, not Russian state action by the individual.

Measures and procedure

The European Union listed Usmanov on 28 February 2022. The United States and United Kingdom also imposed blocking or asset-freeze measures. Current status must be checked in each jurisdiction's operative list because the legal tests, identifiers and consequences differ. Designation reasons are administrative findings; they are not criminal convictions.

The EU General Court dismissed Usmanov's application in Case T-237/22 in February 2024. That judgment addressed the EU listing before the Court. It did not adjudicate every public claim about his assets, companies or relationship with the Russian government.

Entity boundaries

USM companies, trusts, family members, aircraft, vessels and real property are distinct legal objects. Treasury's 2023 network action identified specified entities and also issued a general licence concerning entities owned 50 per cent or more by Usmanov that were not otherwise blocked. Those instruments illustrate why Oligarch-network mapping and seizure requires current ownership evidence. A listing does not itself establish personal ownership of every associated asset, and an asset freeze does not transfer title.

Usmanov is therefore treated as a sanctions target and private adapter within the Coalition sanctions and export controls against Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine (2022-present), not as the Russian state. Public evidence does not establish that measures against him changed Russian policy.

See also

Oligarch-network mapping and seizure · Coalition sanctions and export controls against Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine (2022-present) · Russian oligarchs · Russia

Sources

• Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/336 (28 February 2022).
• General Court of the European Union, *Usmanov v Council*, Case T-237/22, judgment information (7 February 2024).
• US Department of the Treasury, "Treasury Targets Russian Financial Facilitators and Sanctions Evaders Around the World" (12 April 2023).
• UK Government, Russia sanctions designations list dated 26 May 2026 (accessed 30 July 2026).