Footage filmed by squatters from inside the home of a Russian oligarch in central London has emerged showing off the luxury of the property thought to be worth up to £50m.
The group protesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine broke into the house at 5 Belgravia Square yesterday leading to a seven hour stand-off with police before they were removed.
Squatters who broke into the home of sanctioned oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a close associate of Vladimir Putin with a networth estimated at over £2 billion, had hung banners from the front of the property reading "this property has been liberated" and "Putin go f*** yourself", as well as a Ukrainian flag.
The video from inside the mansion begins in an office with art hanging from the walls before moving into a stately hallway complete with a red carpet and carved wooden bannisters as well as a white stone sculpture, reports MyLondon.
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The cameraman then turns into another room, this time a chandelier adorned living area with 10 foot bookshelves and a similarly substantial mirror hanging above a fireplace.
More sculptures and artworks are dotted around the enormous room which leads open plan into a more formal dining area complete with a stunning balcony and black grand piano.
A set of stairs then leads up to another breathtaking cinema room, with a two huge wall screens and more expensive looking art placed around the scattering of sofas filling the room.
The squatters who broke into the £50 million home had been demanding that the empty building be used to house Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russian aggression and bombs but were removed just before 8pm on Monday.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has since expressed his "surprise" at the police response to the occupation, adding that it was "unclear" why police had become involved, the force even using a JCB digger and riot gear to storm the house after drilling through the front door.
Speaking to LBC's Tonight With Andrew Marr programme, Mr Khan said the police response "does raise questions".
He added: "I'm unclear what the police were responding to because we know no one's living there.
"But I'm not sure if there were concerns about any crimes being done to any neighbouring properties, so those are the questions.
Asked whether he would speak to outgoing Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick about the incident, he said: "Or the number two, but someone in the police service, yes."
Mr Khan also expressed his frustration at the Government's slow response in seizing property owned by sanctioned Russian oligarchs.
He said: "We know that there are many properties owned in London by people close to Putin, one of my concerns is, we've had a number of weeks now to seize those homes, to allow them to be used by refugees. They haven't.
"I don't condone the actions of the squatters but they've decided to take the law into their own hands."
