The Federal Council also removed Andrei Falaleyev, former rector of the Crimean Federal University, and Redbird Corporate Services Ltd from the list, The Insider reported. Three deceased individuals were also delisted, including former State Duma deputy Yuri Shvytkin and designer Alexander Leonov.
At the same time, the government announced it was joining the EU's 21st sanctions package against Russia and Belarus. The restrictions were extended to 254 individuals and legal entities, whose assets are subject to freezing; those listed are barred from entering Switzerland or transiting its territory.
Bern banned financial transactions with 33 Russian banks, one bank from a third country, 17 financial institutions and cryptocurrency service providers, five foreign companies, four Russian airports and two ports. Forty-one vessels of the shadow fleet were also targeted, with their purchase, sale and servicing prohibited.
A further 41 companies were placed under enhanced export controls. Switzerland expanded its ban on exporting goods that could be used to strengthen Russia's defense industry, including in the aviation industry and drone production.
According to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), financial assets of sanctioned individuals worth 8.5 billion Swiss francs were frozen in the country as of July 1. Fourteen properties, cars, aircraft, works of art and other valuables are also blocked.
The delisting of Usmanov and Fridman could provide grounds for unblocking their assets if those were frozen solely under the lifted restrictions. The amounts were not disclosed.
The European Union removed the businessmen from its sanctions list on September 22. The reasons are not explained in the EU Council regulation. According to the Financial Times, Paris, under pressure from Baku, sought the lifting of sanctions against Usmanov; the matter was discussed in connection with the release of French citizen Martin Ryan, convicted in Azerbaijan on espionage charges. Baku denied the allegations of pressure.
Luxembourg, according to the FT, sought the lifting of sanctions against Fridman. The businessman is demanding about $16 billion in compensation from the country for frozen assets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the EU's decision, calling such steps counterproductive. According to him, pressure on Moscow must be increased, not weakened.
Switzerland is not an EU member and independently determines which foreign sanctions to adopt. The legal basis is its own embargo law, and the Federal Council assesses decisions for compliance with legislation and its neutrality policy. In this case, the government stated directly that it had removed six individuals and one company in accordance with the EU's decision. At the same time, Bern declined to add two Russian citizens to the list and to impose enhanced export controls on 14 companies from third countries; their names were not disclosed.