The US wants to seize a $45 million jet owned by a Russian oil giant after it violated sanctions by flying 'into and out of Russia'

• US officials have been granted permission to seize a $45 million jet owned by a Russian oil giant.
• The Boeing, owned by Lukoil, violated sanctions by flying into and out of Russia, per the DoJ.

US officials have been granted permission to seize a $45 million Boeing jet owned by a Russian oil giant after it broke US sanctions by flying into and out of Russia.

On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had obtained a warrant to seize a Boeing 737-7EM jet, owned by the Russian energy PJSC Lukoil, after it found "probable cause" that the plane had violated US sanctions by flying "into and out of Russia".

US officials have been seizing assets owned by Russian oligarchs and companies, as part of the swathe of sanctions imposed following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Under controls brought by the US Department of Commerce, any American-made plane is barred from flying into Russia and neighboring Belarus unless it's been granted a special license, The Wall Street Journal reported

The controls also restrict the operator's access to refueling and maintenance by banning companies from servicing the jets.

According to the warrant application, submitted to the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the jet flew from Moscow to Dubai on March 8 and returned to Moscow on March 12.

The flight tracking service AirNav lists the journey as the last flight taken by the jet, which has the registration number VP-CLR.

The aircraft, which the DoJ estimates is worth $45 million, is believed to be in Russia, per the DOJ statement.

The warrant application claims Lukoil, a Moscow-headquartered oil company, owns the jet through a subsidiary in the Cayman Islands. Lukoil has been subject to sanctions imposed by the US Treasury office since 2014, per the DoJ statement.

The plane was last in the US in March 2019, when it carried Lukhoil officials, including the company's then-CEO, Vagit Alekperov, into Houston, per the DoJ.

Lukoil was contacted for comment.