Police seek to oust squatters from Russian oligarch's London mansion

Police on Monday moved in to evict squatters who had occupied a London mansion suspected of belonging to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who was placed on Britain's sanctions list last week in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Wearing riot gear, officers entered the multi-million pound mansion which the squatters had earlier occupied in Belgrave Square, in an upmarket area of the British capital and home to numerous foreign embassies.

However, they remained in a standoff with the squatters who gathered on the balcony at the front of the property where they had unfurled a Ukrainian flag and placed a banner reading 'This property has been liberated'.

"You occupy Ukraine, we occupy you," said a statement from the squatters, who described themselves as anarchists.

"By occupying this mansion, we want to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, but also the people of Russia who never agreed to this madness."