Abramovich Loses to the EU Court for the Third Time Over Sanctions Repeal: Journalist Reports a 'Hat-trick' of Defeats

On September 9, 2026, it became known that Russian billionaire and former owner of Chelsea Football Club, Roman Abramovich, once again failed to secure his removal from the European Union's sanctions list. This was reported in a post on the social network X by Rikard Jozyak, a correspondent for Radio Svoboda, whose publication was cited by the RBC-Ukraine outlet. According to the journalist, Abramovich's lawsuit before the EU court has been dismissed again, marking his third defeat in a similar dispute, which he wryly dubbed a 'hat-trick.'

A Third 'Hat-trick' at the EU Court

Sanctions against Abramovich were imposed by the European Union following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Brussels justified the decision on the basis of the billionaire's status as an influential businessman linked to the Russian economy. In reviewing his first lawsuit, the EU Court upheld the application of the criterion concerning leading businesspeople operating in Russia whose activities affect sectors that are a significant source of revenue for the Russian state. On this basis, his inclusion in the sanctions list was maintained.

Chronology of the Legal Battle

According to published data, a year ago the EU Court had already considered Abramovich's lawsuit and refused to lift his inclusion in the list. Dissatisfied with the ruling, the billionaire filed an appeal in November 2025, information about which was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. In addition, in May 2026 Abramovich filed another lawsuit against the Council of the EU with the General Court of the EU. Thus, the legal battle over lifting the restrictions continues; however, current data from the sanctions register indicates that Abramovich remains subject to EU restrictions.

Contradictory Data

The sources contain an inconsistency in counting the 'third' defeat. Journalist Rikard Jozyak characterizes the outcome as a 'hat-trick,' i.e., a third defeat, yet the same text outlines separate procedural steps: the initial inclusion in the list, the court's decision a year ago, the appeal of November 2025, and the new lawsuit of May 2026. The primary source does not clarify which of these stages the journalist counts as the 'third' lawsuit, and his wording is of an evaluative nature. On the one hand, proponents of the 'three defeats' version point to the successive dismissals of Abramovich's claims; on the other, the exact correspondence between the procedural stages and the number of lost cases is not confirmed by the official text of the court's ruling in the provided materials, leaving room for differing interpretations of the chronology.

'Abramovich's Money' and Ukraine's Humanitarian Needs

Beyond the sanctions dispute, a separate layer of questions persists around Abramovich's assets. He was previously forced to freeze the funds obtained from the sale of Chelsea. The United Kingdom had stated its intention to secure the transfer of approximately 2.5 billion pounds sterling from the club's sale to Ukraine's humanitarian needs; however, according to available data, this has not yet happened. Recently, the British Ambassador to Ukraine, Neil Kempt, publicly commented on whether Kyiv will ultimately receive these 'Abramovich funds.'

Possible Role as a Mediator

Against the backdrop of the ongoing legal battle and frozen assets, open sources have also featured information that Abramovich could act as a mediator in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. This claim is presented as a separate development, not directly linked to the outcomes of the cases at the EU court, and requires further verification as official confirmations become available.