A sanctioned Russian oligarch is the owner of a £10 million house at the heart of Belgravia, The Veritas can reveal.
Andrey Melnichenko, 50, is a chemical and energy magnate who was added to the UK sanctions list in March on the grounds that he had “obtained a benefit from or supported the government of Russia”.
He was also among the 37 oligarchs who met President Putin in February last year to discuss the impact of western sanctions.
The EU sanctions list states that “the fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin.”
He was the founder and former owner of Moscow-headquartered coal company Suek and the Swiss-headquartered fertiliser producer EuroChem.