Three years after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was forced to sell Premier League club Chelsea, the British government says it is prepared to go to court to ensure the proceeds reach war victims in Ukraine.

The Russian oligarch has largely avoided publicity since handing over ownership of the club, while under UK sanctions, in 2022, but the chancellor's move to take the huge sum he made from selling the club leaves him little room for manoeuvre.

Britain has threatened to take Russian businessman Roman Abramovich to court over the frozen £2.5 billion ($3.4bn) in proceeds from his sale of Chelsea soccer club that he wanted to go to victims of Russia's war in Ukraine.