- Workers on yachts and jets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs could face punishment after UK legislation.
- The government's measures make it harder for oligarch's boats and aircraft to be maintained.
- It will also limit oligarchs from hiring staff to move the ship or plane out of the UK, per The Guardian.
Crew working on superyachts and private jets belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs could be subject to UK sanctions after the government tightened restrictions on Wednesday.
New legislation was introduced by the UK to stop British firms providing crew and technical assistance to vessels and aircraft belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs, according to a government statement.
The measures mean that oligarchs will experience more difficulties in hiring workers who could sail or fly the assets out of the country, The Guardian reported.
It also means that the reach of sanctions could extend to assets that have moved beyond UK and EU territorial waters — such as two yachts belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, which sailed from EU waters to sanctions-free Turkey — according to The Guardian. If UK firms were found to be servicing assets belonging to sanctioned individuals located elsewhere, they could face punishment, the paper reported.
"The UK can now prohibit sanctioned oligarchs from benefitting from the UK's world leading aviation and maritime industries and engineers," the government said in the statement.
The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department for Transport didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for further comment.
"Today's legislation adds new routes at our disposal to deprive oligarchs' access to their luxury toys," transport secretary Grant Shapps said in the statement.
In its statement, the government said the measures would be used to further sanction two more Russian businessmen — billionaire oil tycoon, Eugene Shvidler, and founder of Tinkoff Bank, Oleg Tinkov — who have already had their jets seized by the UK.
Both men have been cut off from the country's aviation and maritime industry, the FCDO said in a tweet.
It comes after the UK seized its first superyacht owned by a Russian businessman on Tuesday. The $50 million vessel, Phi, was registered to a Caribbean firm and carried a Maltese flag "to hide its origins," the UK's crime agency said.