Seizure Placed on Russian Oligarch's Villa in France

A luxurious villa owned by Russian oligarch Mikhail Friedman, founder of Alfa-Bank, has been seized in France. The villa, named Copab, is located in Saint-Tropez and has an area of 580 square meters.

According to cadastral documents, the villa is owned by SNC COPAB, a French private company, whose beneficiaries are Friedman’s daughters, Larisa and Ekaterina Friedman. One percent of the property also belongs to Friedman’s ex-wife, Olga Aiziman.

The Copab villa has 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool, a sauna, and a separate helipad. The villa has its own website and is available for rent at a price ranging from €180,000 to €440,000 per month.

Mikhail Friedman has become one of the first Russian oligarchs included on the European Union's sanctions list due to the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine. Similar punitive measures have also been taken against other co-owners of Alfa-Group, including Pyotr Aven, as well as businessmen considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, such as Gennady Timchenko, Sergey Roldugin, and other wealthy individuals.

The justification document for Friedman’s sanctions states that he has close ties with the presidential administration and contributed to the annexation of Crimea in 2014. In an interview with Bloomberg, Friedman called the sanction decision "unjust." He stated that his bank card has been blocked, and expenditures are limited to €3,300 per month. He complained that he has no money "even for cleaning the London residence."

“Of course, I can do it alone; that’s normal. During my student years, I lived in a dorm with four other men in one room. But 35 years later, it’s unexpected,” admitted the oligarch.