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UK government to take ‘further steps’ against Abramovich for failing to hand over money from Chelsea

By The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The British government said Tuesday it will take “further steps” to ensure Roman Abramovich releases the 2.5 billion pounds (then $3.2 billion) he pledged to donate from the sale of Premier League soccer giant Chelsea in 2022.

Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea after his native Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, and the London club was bought by a consortium led by American investors Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital for what, at the time, was the highest price ever paid for a sports team.

Abramovich pledged to give the proceeds from the sale to victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine but the funds remain frozen amid a dispute between him and the British government, which says he has objected to plans for the money be spent exclusively in Ukraine.

Britain’s Press Association reported Tuesday that the government is preparing to take legal action against Abramovich after he missed a deadline of March 17 to hand over the money.

“We gave Roman Abramovich his last chance to do the right thing,” the government said. “Once again, he has failed to make the donation he committed to.

“We will now take further steps to ensure that the promise he made at the time of the Chelsea sale is kept.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

How Ukraine’s front line became a laboratory for drone innovation

By The Associated Press
KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — The night air in eastern Ukraine is crisp, and a myriad of stars scatter above a small crew of soldiers watching for Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia launches in waves. Such teams are deployed across the country as part of a constantly evolving effort to counter the low-cost loitering munitions that have become a deadly weapon of modern warfare, from Ukraine to the Middle East. While waiting, the crew from the 127th Brigade tests and fine-tunes their self-made interceptor drones, searching for flaws that could undermine performance once the buzzing threat appears. When Shahed drones first appeared in autumn 2022, Ukraine had few ways to stop them. Today, drone crews intercept them in flight with continually adapting technology. In recent years, Ukraine's domestic drone interceptor market has burgeoned, producing some key players who tout their products at international arms shows. But it's on the front line where small teams have become laboratories of rapid military innovation — grassroots technology born of battlefield necessity that now draw international interest.
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