Protesters today seized the £50million Belgravia ‘crash pad’ of a sanctioned Russian oligarch, saying the property would be used to house Ukrainian refugees and they would stay until Vladimir Putin ends his invasion.
At least five activists broke into 5 Belgrave Square just after midnight before hanging Ukrainian flags and a banner reading, ‘The property has been liberated’ and ‘Putin go f*** yourself’.
The mansion belongs to the family of oil tycoon Oleg Deripaska, one of seven oligarchs who were sanctioned by the UK government last week for being ‘pro-Kremlin’ and ‘closely associated’ with Putin.
It is still believed to be in the billionaire’s family and has not been seized by the government.
Deripaska has close links to the British establishment, with Peter Mandelson and George Osborne previously visiting his £80million superyacht in Corfu.
The squatters call themselves the London Mahknovists – after Nestor Makhno, who led an anarchist force that attempted to form a stateless society in Ukraine during the Russian Revolution of 1917-1923.
Today, three men stood on the balcony above the street, playing music, waving and dancing. Talking about finding housing for refugees, one said: ‘Priti Patel, do not worry. We did your job. Refugees welcome.’
A second man added: ‘We are planning to stay until Putin stops the war. Putin is responsible for people losing their homes and lands. Sanctions are not enough. The Government has delayed action – they are playing games.’
