The Member of Parliament for Chesham and Amersham Sarah Green MP urged HS2 and government to end contract with an engineering firm after partial stake by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska came to light.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced the UK government move to freeze assets and impose travel bans on powerful Russian individuals, like Mr Deripaska.

This comes amid worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine, as the war reaches its 19th day.

Oleg Deripaska joined Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich and other prominent pro-Putin business figures on the UK sanctions list.

READ MORE: Film industry volunteers witness life at the border 

On March 11 Sarah Green MP urged HS2 Ltd, the company tasked with developing the high-speed railway, to end existing contracts with the engineering firm Strabag, because Mr Deripaska ownership of 27.8 percent through his company Rasperia Trading Ltd has come to light.

Ms Green said: “I am deeply concerned that HS2 Ltd are doing business with a firm so closely linked to someone who has been sanctioned by the government.

“As a consequence of this, one of Putin’s close associates appears to be profiting from UK taxpayers.

“It is essential that we stand united in support for Ukraine by showing Putin and those around him that their business is no longer welcome in the UK.”

Bucks Free Press: The situation in Ukraine on March 14 (Credit: PA Graphics)The situation in Ukraine on March 14 (Credit: PA Graphics)

Contractors Strabag, Skanska and Costain formed SCS joint venture, which is one of HS2’s main works contractors.

In her letters addressed to Mark Thurston, HS2 Ltd boss and Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, Ms Green also asked both to thoroughly audit all stakeholders in HS2 and other significant government contracts.

Mr Deripaska is linked to “persons who are involved in destabilising and threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”, according to the UK government sanctions document.

HS2 did not comment at this point.

Update from Strabag read: “On 10 March 2022 Mr Oleg Deripaska has been designated for the purposes of an asset freeze and travel ban set out in Regulations 11 to 16 of the UK’s Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (as amended) (the ‘UK Russia Regulations’).

“Those sanctions against Mr. Deripaska do not prevent STRABAG from continuing to do business in the UK, EU or US and we look forward to continuing to work in these countries and with our partners.”

In central London on Monday, protesters occupied a mansion in Belgravia owned by Mr Deripaska, while Downing Street confirmed its plans to look into whether properties of sanctioned oligarchs could be used to house Ukrainian refugees.

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