Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich ‘poisoned’ for negotiating peace with Ukraine

Moscow hardliners opposed to a compromise between Russia and Ukraine may have poisoned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators during a peace talk in Kyiv recently, international media reported on Monday (March 29).

Abramovich, one of the world’s richest men who owns the Chelsea Football Club in the UK, was recently added to the UK government’s sanctions list against Russian oligarchs with known links with President Vladimir Putin. Abramovich, worth more than 9 billion pounds (USD 11 billion), is on a new list of seven wealthy Russians whose business empires, wealth and connections are closely associated with the Kremlin.

Since then the billionaire businessman has been shuttling between Kyiv, Moscow and other negotiation sites to bring peace between the warring factions.

American newspaper Wall Street Journal had reported that Abramovich and two senior Ukrainian negotiators developed symptoms including red eyes, painfully watery eyes, and peeling skin on their face and hands. News agency AFP quoted a source that confirmed Wall Street Journal report to be true.

Also read: Opposition tables no-trust motion against Pakistan PM Imran Khan

Ukraine has, however, refused to confirm the report. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said, “All members of the negotiation team are working as usual today.”

The US media house speculated that hardliners in Russia, who do not want the war to end, must have carried out the alleged attack.

As per reports, the condition of Abramovich and other negotiators is stable and they are out of danger.

Christo Grozev, who works for open-source collective Bellingcat, said the intention of the attackers was not to kill but to warn them.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had confirmed that he has received offers of support from Abramovich. Zelensky had also reportedly asked US President Joe Biden to hold off on sanctioning Abramovich, saying the Russian oligarch is important in negotiating a peace deal with Kremlin.