More than 100 private jets owned by Russian oligarchs are stuck in Dubai after being flown there to escape sanctions.
Private jets belonging to Russian oligarchs that flew to Dubai to seek refuge from sanctions, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are effectively stuck there, The Wall Street Journal reported.
It’s caused a build-up of more than 100 planes that sit idle at Dubai airports since the war began. The Journal cited satellite imagery and data from aerospace research firm WINGX.
According to WINGX’s website, “with 49 outbound flights in the first week of March, the Russia-UAE connection is three times busier than pre-pandemic, but just two-thirds of the outbound activity during the last week of February.”
Satellite images shot by Earth-imaging company Planet Labs also show an accumulation of private jets from mid-February to the start of April, per The Journal.
When Russia attacked Ukraine, Western nations joined together to penalize Russia for its actions by imposing a number of sanctions.
Some of Russia’s richest have found refuge in places that have not imposed sanctions, including Dubai and the Maldives.
However, as these jets fly to Dubai to evade sanctions, they resultantly become stuck there as Russian jet owners can’t fly them anywhere else, aviation lawyers and private jet brokers told The Journal.
