Russian Oligarch Alisher Usmanov, who has been sanctioned by a string of western nations, no longer owns many of his former properties his spokesperson has said, potentially meaning they will avoid such penalties. The Uzbek-born Russian business magnate has been sanctioned by The European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland due to his close ties with the Kremlin. The move came in response to Russia invading Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what Russian President Vladimir Putin has called a “special military operation.” But a spokesperson for Usmanov told The Guardian that the majority of the billionaire’s UK properties, as well as his yacht, had been “long ago transferred into irrevocable trusts.” “From that point on, Mr. Usmanov did not own them, nor was he able to manage them or deal with their sale, but could only use them on a rental basis,” the spokesperson said. “Mr. Usmanov withdrew from the beneficiaries of the trusts, donating his beneficial …