Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has been under scrutiny for weeks over his alleged deep ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin, which the billionaire has denied.

Putin, who invaded Ukraine last week causing the deaths of hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians as well as reportedly thousands of Russian troops, is alleged to have enjoyed a "father and son" relationship with the Russian billionaire.

Abramovich, who grew up orphaned from the age of three, has always been careful to distance himself from alleged links with the Russian president and last week gave stewardship over the running of his football club over to Chelsea's charity.

His supposed connections to Vladimir Putin were recently raised by Labour MP Chris Bryant, who told the House of Commons he had a copy of a leaked Home Office report that alleged Abramovich having links to the Russian state as well as to "corrupt activity and practices".

Yesterday, it was reported Abramovich was aiding peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, attempting to find a peaceful resolution.

Are Roman Abramovich and Vladimir Putin friends?

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  Prince Charles slams Russia over invasion and stands in 'solidarity' with resistance

If they are not friends now, Putin and Abramovich are believed to have had a very close relationship at one point.

In 2012, a high court judge said that the Chelsea owner had "very good relations" with and "privileged access to" Putin. In the same hearing, however, the judge stated that Abramovich did not have the clout to "pull the presidential strings".

Mrs Justice Gloster said: "It was clear from the evidence that, at the material times, Mr Abramovich enjoyed very good relations with President Putin and others in power at the Kremlin.

"It was also clear that Mr Abramovich had privileged access to President Putin, in the sense that he could arrange meetings and discuss matters with him."

According to The Times, a Putin biographer claimed that Putin and Abramovich had a 'father and son' relationship.

In 2016, it was reported by The Telegraph Abramovich had given Putin a yacht believed to be worth around £25million, though there is little to no evidence of this and it was hotly disputed by Abramovich's representatives at the time.

Abramovich’s lawyers said the claims about the yacht were "unsubstantiated" and little more than a "rehash of speculation and rumours".

Putin relies on the support of Russian billionaires and a number of them have been sanctioned by the West in a bid to target Russian financially after its invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich has not himself been sanctioned and his own daughter posted an Instagram Story condemning Putin's actions

How did Roman Abramovich become so rich?

Abramovich profited from the mass selling-off of Russian state assets after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

He and fellow billionaire (and later critic and exile of the Kremlin) Boris Berezovsky were able to acquire the Siberian oil giant Sibneft for around £148 million.

He had already acquired wealth through trading retreated tyres and becoming a toymaker, before setting up the oil-trading firm ABK.

The book Londongrad alleges Abramovich obtained a licence to export oil "through his connections with a customs official".

However, Abramovich has been careful to distance himself from claims of his ties to Putin.

In December 2021, he won an apology in a defamation settlement when journalist Catherine Belton published claims that he only bought Chelsea under the orders of Putin, in book called Putin's People.

Publisher HarperCollins apologised and said the information was inaccurate.

The billionaire's representatives said: "Mr Abramovich's ambition with Chelsea Football Club has always been clear and transparent: to create world-class teams on the pitch and to ensure the club plays a positive role in all of its communities."

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