biggest russian yacht seized

Here are the superyachts seized from Russian oligarchs

As part of an international pressure campaign on Russia, authorities from around the world have seized more than a half-dozen superyachts belonging to billionaire oligarchs allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The yacht seizures since the Feb. 24 invasion are "just the beginning," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in March, as an international task force worked to identify further assets that can be seized or frozen.

“The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said of the ongoing efforts in May.

Here are the superyachts government officials have seized since Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

The Justice Department announced May 5 that the Fijian government had seized billionaire oligarch Suleiman Kerimov 's 348-foot yacht Amadea. The vessel, which is valued at more than $300 million , arrived in Fiji last month. Kerimov, who's worth an estimated $14 billion and has ties to the Russian government, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department over alleged money laundering in 2018.

Special features on the sprawling yacht include a helipad, infinity pool, a jacuzzi and multiple bars, according to a report in Boat International . It can accommodate 16 overnight guests in addition to 36 crew members, the report said.

In April, Spanish law-enforcement officials seized a 255-foot yacht called the Tango, which Justice Department says is owned by oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Vekselberg is an aluminum magnate who the Treasury Department says has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Tango is worth an estimated $90 million, prosecutors said , and Vekselberg allegedly purchased it through shell companies. The 11-year-old yacht has seven staterooms and reportedly includes amenities such as a pool, gym and beauty salon .

Authorities in Italy seized a 215-foot superyacht called the Lady M this month. It's owned by Alexei Mordashov, Russia's richest businessman, and it’s estimated to be worth $27 million . The vessel, which requires a crew of 14, has six guest cabins , a pool and a gym.

But it pales in comparison to another of Mordashov's yachts, the $500 million Nord . The 464-foot vessel, which has two helipads and a waterfall and can accommodate 36 guests, was anchored this month in the Seychelles, where the U.S. and European Union sanctions don’t apply.

Italian officials also seized the 132-foot superyacht Lena, owned by the energy magnate Gennady Timchenko. Estimated to be worth $8 million, it has five cabins and can accommodate 10 guests.

SY A — short for Sailing Yacht A — is one of the world's largest superyachts. Valued at over $440 million, the 469-foot vessel, owned by the fertilizer magnate Andrey Melnichenko, has eight decks, multiple elevators, an underwater observation area and the world's tallest masts . It was seized in the Italian port of Trieste.

Authorities in Spain seized Sergei Chemezov's Valerie, a 279-foot superyacht that had been moored in Barcelona. Chemezov , a former KGB officer, heads the state conglomerate Rostec. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez touted the seizure on La Sexta television. “We are talking about a yacht that we estimate is worth $140 million,” Sanchez said.

Officials in France announced this month that they had seized the 289-foot Amore Vero, which was undergoing repairs in a shipyard near Marseille. When they arrived, authorities said, they found the crew preparing for an urgent departure, even though the repair work was scheduled to last through April. The $120 million boat, which has seven cabins , is linked to Igor Sechin, described by the U.S. Treasury Department as a close ally of Putin's.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

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Here are the Russian oligarch yachts being seized as sanctions take effect

• The move to target these assets comes as the U.S. Justice Department announced a new task force that will help enforce sweeping sanctions against Russian oligarchs.
• French authorities seized a massive yacht they say is linked to Igor Sechin.

Russian billionaire and business tycoon Alisher Usmanov's superyacht Dilbar was restricted from leaving its anchorage by German authorities on Thursday, according to an official with knowledge of the matter.

At least two superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs have been seized by authorities in the European Union after the executives were sanctioned following their country's invasion of Ukraine .

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the yacht has not been physically seized but rather is not allowed to move from its current location in the German port city of Hamburg. The person added that more measures will be taken later.

The extraordinary yacht, named after Usmanov's mother, extends over 500 feet and is equipped with the largest indoor swimming pool ever installed on a private vessel. The Department of Treasury estimates that the current value of Usmanov's yacht is approximately $735 million.

A Treasury official referred CNBC's inquires for an update on motor yacht Dilbar to German authorities. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said any action taken by German authorities would not involve transferring the vessel to the United States under Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, sanctions.

Usmanov and his superyacht entered U.S. crosshairs on Thursday when the Biden administration announced additional sanctions on Russian elites with Kremlin ties.

The Treasury Department wrote in a release that Usmanov is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and that his "Kremlin ties enrich him and enable his luxurious lifestyle."

The new U.S. sanctions listing Usmanov's yacht as blocked property effectively means that any transactions related to the yacht, including maintenance, the hiring of crew, payment of docking fees conducted with U.S. persons or in U.S. dollars are prohibited.

French authorities seized a massive yacht they say is linked to Igor Sechin , a Russian billionaire who is CEO of state oil company Rosneft. He previously served as Russia's deputy prime minister within Putin's government. Forbes reported that Sechin is known in Russian business circles as "Darth Vader."

Sechin was previously targeted with sanctions by the EU after the invasion of Ukraine.

The Lady M, a yacht owned by Russia's wealthiest oligarch, was also seized in Italy.

A media advisor to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi confirmed in a tweet that the superyacht known to be the property of sanctioned billionaire Alexei Mordashov was seized in Imperia.

Video shows Italian authorities surrounding the yacht. Mordashov, who was the CEO of steel company Severstal, has a net worth of nearly $30 billion, and was recently sanctioned by the European Union after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The yacht, according to SuperYachtFan, is worth over $50 million and is over 200 feet long. The vessel includes a helipad and can accommodate a dozen guests.

The move to target these assets comes as the U.S. Justice Department announced a new task force that will help enforce sweeping sanctions against Russian oligarchs. The task force will use various tools at its disposal, including cryptocurrency tracing, to track down assets to seize and prosecute those who violate the sanctions.

Meanwhile, the United States and its allies have placed what could be devastating sanctions on Putin and key Russian financial institutions, including the nation's central bank.

This story will be regularly updated if other yachts are seized. Please check back for updates.

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World's biggest sailing yacht owned by Russian billionaire is seized by Italian police

The $578 million 'sailing yacht a' has been sequestered in trieste.

Two superyachts linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich were spotted on the Turkish coast on Tuesday, 'Eclipse' and 'My Solaris'. Mr Abramovich is among several wealthy Russians added to an EU blacklist as governments act to seize their yachts and other luxury assets. AP

Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine

A superyacht owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko has been seized by Italian police.

The $578 million Sailing Yacht A – which is the world’s biggest sailing yacht, according to the Italian government – has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, the government said.

The seizure was confirmed by the prime minister's office on Saturday, a few days after the businessman was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia's invasion of Ukraine .

The vessel, which is 143 metres high, was designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany.

Mr Melnichenko owns major fertiliser producer EuroChem Group and coal company SUEK.

Last week, Italian police seized villas and yachts worth $156 million from five high-profile Russians who have been placed on the sanctions list.

The police operations were part of a co-ordinated drive by western states to penalise wealthy Russians linked to President Vladimir Putin.

The UK expanded its sanctions regime against seven Russian oligarchs on Thursday over their links to Mr Putin.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was the most high-profile name on the list, as the UK government imposed asset freezes and a travel ban on the billionaire.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: "With their close links to Putin they are complicit in his aggression. The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang their heads in shame."

Italy seizes Russian billionaire Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A

Reporting by Emilio Parodi in Bergamo and Stevo Vasiljevic in Tivat Writing by Giselda Vagnoni Editing by Frances Kerry

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Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap, says ally

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap at the time of his death, Maria Pevchikh, a Navalny ally, said on Monday, repeating her allegation that President Vladimir Putin had him killed.

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The U.S. seized Russian oligarchs' superyachts. Now, American taxpayers pay the price

Ayesha Rascoe

Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Stephanie Baker, senior writer at Bloomberg News, about the complications involved in seizing and maintaining superyachts owned by sanctioned Russian billionaires.

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

When the U.S. and its allies looked for ways to sanction the Russian elite, they zeroed in on their superyachts, filled with luxuries like heated pools and wine cellars. But as Stephanie Baker reports, the powerful symbolism of seizing a superyacht is followed by the expense of maintaining those pools and wine cellars and everything else aboard these floating palaces. Stephanie Baker is a senior writer at Bloomberg News, and she joins us now. Thanks for being with us.

STEPHANIE BAKER: Thanks for having me.

RASCOE: So you've written a series of articles on the West's seizure of these yachts from Russian oligarchs. What have you learned about what goes into maintaining these types of boats? Like, you can't just let them sit at the dock?

BAKER: No, it's not a case of turning off the lights, locking up the door and leaving them until the war in Ukraine is over. These things take an enormous amount of money to maintain. Even stuck in ports, they have to be staffed with a, you know, minimal crew to be on board in case of accidents, fires, fuel spills, the like. You know, for insurance purposes, insurance is another cost. They need to be washed so they don't entail a multimillion-dollar repaint job. And, you know, it's an incredibly costly process and complicated.

RASCOE: Is part of the issue they don't know what they're going to do with them?

BAKER: Well, in the case of the U.S., they have vowed to sell them eventually through a complicated process called forfeiture, where they have to go before a judge and prove that this superyacht has been bought with the proceeds of crime or involved in some kind of crime. And that is a lengthy, difficult process, especially in the case of Russian-linked superyachts because it's not always clear who the owner is. One forfeiture expert compared it to seizing the proceeds of a drug lord. A drug lord may not have his mansion in his own name. It would be in his girlfriend's name. So there's a long process to establish not who owns it on paper, but who's really controlling it, who's directing it, who's making decisions about it.

RASCOE: So when the U.S. or the EU seizes a yacht, the cost of maintaining that yacht - it actually goes to the taxpayers, right? Like, so how much money are we talking about that taxpayers are paying?

BAKER: It is U.S. taxpayers that are paying for it, at least until they do sell it and then can recoup the costs. Typically, it costs 10% of a superyacht's value to maintain it. But when it's frozen in port, the cost will obviously be less. It's not eating as much fuel by cruising at sea. I did a lot of reporting to try to establish, what are the real costs of keeping these things in port. And I came to a pretty conservative estimate of something like 3%. Now, in the case of one superyacht, the one that the U.S. government seized and sailed from Fiji to San Diego, I established that the annual costs of keeping that in port are about 10 million a year.

RASCOE: So 10 million a year. That's for one yacht?

BAKER: That's for one yacht.

RASCOE: For one yacht.

BAKER: And that's a conservative estimate.

RASCOE: OK. And so all together, do you have any sense of how much that might be?

BAKER: Well, globally, including the EU and the U.K. - they've seized more than 15 superyachts. And we're talking tens of millions. But if you're a sanctioned Russian oligarch with your asset frozen in a port, how long are you really going to pay? So we're looking at potentially years of litigation over these vessels about who's paying, you know, the maintenance. And they're essentially going to be in sort of legal purgatory for many years.

RASCOE: And so, I mean, most of us will never step foot on a superyacht. So it's hard for us to imagine. What is the most outrageous luxury that you've come across or one that, you know, really stood out to you?

BAKER: Right. So I went to the Monaco Yacht Show at the end of September and got on board one of the most luxurious, expensive superyachts. It was just the most incredible floating mansion. It had hand-painted bathrooms, handmade curved bar, a pool, elaborate bedrooms, you know, very high ceilings, multiple decks. They are the most extravagant status symbol, really, amongst the billionaire class.

RASCOE: That's Stephanie Baker, senior writer at Bloomberg News. Thank you so much.

BAKER: Thank you for having me.

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Italian authorities seize one of world’s largest superyachts from oligarch

Sailing Yacht A, owned by Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko, seized in Trieste on Friday evening

• Russia-Ukraine war – latest news

Italian authorities have seized a €530m (£444m) superyacht owned by Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko as part of EU sanctions following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine .

Sy A – short for Sailing Yacht A – was seized on Friday evening in the port of Trieste after being identified by Italian police as belonging to the billionaire owner of EuroChem Group, a major fertiliser producer, and the coal company SUEK.

Video footage reportedly showed police cars with flashing lights approaching the yacht, said to be one of the largest in the world, and boarding it.

EuroChem and SUEK said in statements on Thursday that Melnichenko had resigned as a member of the board in both companies and withdrawn as their beneficiary, effective on Wednesday.

It comes as Roman Abramovich’s superyacht Solaris was pictured arriving in Tivat, Montenegro, on Saturday. The vessel left a port in Barcelona earlier this week as the UK government imposed sanctions on the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea Football Club.

On Thursday, it was tracked off the coast of Sicily after reportedly undergoing repairs earlier in the week in Barcelona, one of a number of apparently hurried sailings of Russian billionaires moving their superyachts to avoid seizure. His other yacht, the more luxurious Eclipse, was on Thursday located to the west of the Canary Islands.

A European Council decision authorising the sanctions against Melnichenko says he was one of 37 business leaders who met with the Russian president after the invasion of Ukraine to talk about the potential economic impact of EU and US sanctions.

Melnichenko, the document states, “belongs to the most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian government”.

It adds: “He is therefore involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine.”

A spokesperson for Melnichenko, Alex Andreev, said the businessman had “no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations”.

“There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list,” Andreev said. “We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.”

Italian authorities have separately seized €143m worth of luxury yachts and villas owned by Russian billionaires in luxury destinations including Lake Como, Sardinia and the Ligurian coast.

Nobiskrug, the manufacturer of Sailing Yacht A, describes the three-mast vessel on its website as “one of the world’s largest and most advanced superyachts” and the “ultimate embodiment of German superyachts built for the 22nd century”. It is almost 143 metres long, the mainmast is 100 metres above the waterline, and the yacht has a gross tonnage of about 12,600.

Other yachts seized by Italian police include Lady M, owned by Alexei Mordashov who, before being blacklisted this week by the EU, was the richest man in Russia. A yacht owned by Gennady Timchenko, another billionaire with close ties to Putin, was also seized.

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U.S. Government Seized a Russian Oligarch’s Yacht but Can’t Afford $7 Million Yearly Upkeep

A fter Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. declared a series of sanctions on the country. As the war continued, the west agreed to dial up the pressure on Putin by attacking his inner circle. So Fijian law enforcement seized a docked 348-foot superyacht that supposedly belonged to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov.

The yacht, which is called the “Amadea” and is worth about $300 million is now in San Diego. The U.S. claims it is within its rights to take the ship, as it has multiple warrants against Kerimov and his property as part of the sanctions. The government plans to auction the yacht and donate the proceeds to the people of Ukraine. There’s only one catch: maintenance.

Another Russian oligarch, Eduard Khudainatov, has come forward and said the big boat is actually his. Khudainatov is the retired CEO of Russia’s state-run oil company, Rosneft. He is most certainly another ally of Putin’s. But the U.S. doesn’t currently have a warrant against him, so he sued to get “his” boat back.

Khudainatov’s goal is to prevent the sale with a lengthy court battle. Normally, the U.S. might let him delay, but there’s a major problem: the upkeep. The Amadea, which is longer than the Navy’s Los Angeles class attack submarines, costs an average of $600,000 to maintain. Every month. Even just docked in San Diego.

The U.S. is not up for paying $7 million a year to keep the big boat afloat. Prosecutors have told a judge that paying these maintenance fees is “excessive,” and the cost of keeping the yacht around justifies an immediate auction. They argue that Khudaintov’s case is clearly a ploy.

The irony, is that maintenance costs are how the U.S. prosecutors mounted a case against Kerimov in the first place. He didn’t buy the Amadea in the U.S. But he apparently paid $1 million in maintenance payments through U.S. financial institutions.

All the red tape aside, the U.S. has the world’s biggest navy. So when it told Fiji it was taking some Russian’s yacht, the island nation didn’t have much of a choice. But that begs another question. The Amadea is just a boat. And it’s probably docked at the naval shipyard in San Diego, where the U.S. has mechanics sitting around on payroll. So is there any chance the U.S. is actually paying that much to keep the thing afloat? Who knows. But I seriously doubt any of Putin’s buddies are getting it back.

Next, learn how oligarchs and warlords get Ferraris , or watch a drone flyover of the Amadea in the video below:

Billionaires Use This Tax Loophole To Get Trucks and Suvs for Free

700-Horsepower Replica of Hemingway’s Boat is the Ultimate Restomod

The post U.S. Government Seized a Russian Oligarch’s Yacht but Can’t Afford $7 Million Yearly Upkeep appeared first on MotorBiscuit .

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Photos show the luxury mega yachts that belong to Russian oligarchs — some of whom have hidden their ships as the UK ramps up sanctions.

• Sanctions targeting Russian oligarchs threaten their luxury assets — including their mega yachts.
• Many countries have implemented sanctions targeting Putin and Russian oligarchs following Russia's attack on Ukraine.
• Insider compiled a photo list of some of the luxury vessels.

Russian billionaires' assets — including their megayachts — are in danger of being seized as countries continue to impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden announced that the US will make a substantial effort to seize Russian oligarchs' assets.

"We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets," Biden said in his State of The Union address on March 1. "We are coming for your ill-begotten gains."

Since the US is not in "armed conflict" with Russia it may be legally tricky to seize assets like yachts, Insider reported . 

"The threshold for seizing assets under sanctions is that the US has to be in armed conflict with the owner of the assets," Brian O'Toole, an economic sanctions expert, tweeted last Friday. "The idea of turning Russian corruption into Ukrainian assistance is lovely but this idea is illegal, period."

It can also be difficult to find out who the owners of these yachts are.

Offshore companies typically own the luxury vessels, but enough "public speculation" pointing to a Russian oligarch as an owner is likely "sufficient for a seizure," Insider reported . 

Many of the oligarchs moved their yachts to places where they can't be seized, such as the Maldives, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.

Insider has compiled a list of photos with mega yachts linked to Russian oligarchs.

Galactica Super Nova

Amid sanctions and seizures targeting Russian billionaires, Galactica Super Nova — said to be linked to the CEO of Russian oil firm Lukoil — is no longer detectable via ship tracker site MarineTraffic , The Daily Beast reported Thursday. 

The superyacht — whose owner is named Vagit Alekperov — had just been in Montenegro last week, Insider reported .

Alekperov is not currently the target of any sanctions. 

The yacht is almost 230 feet long and can hold up to 12 guests and 16 crew members, according to the ship maker Heesen Yachts .

The ship also has a helicopter pad that can turn into an outdoor movie theatre, also according to the ship maker.

The Amore Vero

France seized Amore Vero, a 281-foot megayacht linked to oligarch and politician Igor Sechin, on March 3.

The yacht, Amore Vero, is estimated to have a value of $120 million . It has a swimming pool that doubles as a helicopter pad and a private deck for its owner, according to Oceana , the ship maker.

Per The Wall Street Journal , officials believe that Amore Vero is "owned by a company whose majority shareholder was Mr. Sechin," though the outlet does not provide the name of the company.

Sechin is the CEO of Rosneft, Russia's oil giant, and a former deputy prime minister. A known Putin ally , he was sanctioned by both the EU and the US before France seized his yacht last week .

Sechin was one of seven oligarchs sanctioned by the UK on Thursday. 

People in Russia have referred to Sechin as "Darth Vader" and "the scariest man on Earth," according to The Guardian .

Alisher Usmanov has been sanctioned by the EU, the US, the UK, and Switzerland. His boat remains in Germany, but the country says it hasn't seized it.

Usmanov's Dilbar is "is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage," according to Lürssen , the German ship's maker.

It's 512-foot long and weighs 15,917 tons. The ship has been docked in Germany for months undergoing a "refitting," but last week Forbes reported that it was unable to leave the dock.

Germany, however, has denied that it formally seized Dilbar.

Forbes said that "the German federal customs agency is the 'responsible enforcement authority' and would have to issue an export waiver for the yacht to leave, and that 'no yacht leaves port that is not allowed to do so.'" 

Still, multiple outlets reported that Usmanov has fired the crew on the Dilbar.

The Uzbekistan-born oligarch is a supporter of Putin. 

"I am proud that I know Putin, and the fact that everybody does not like him is not Putin's problem," Usmanov told Forbes  in a 2010 interview. 

Suleyman Kerimov was sanctioned by the US, and his son, Said Kerimov, owns ICE. The superyacht is worth is an estimated $170 million.

The Kerimov family owns the majority of Polyus Gold, Russia's biggest gold producer .

ICE was dubbed "Superyacht of the Year" in 2006 at the World Super Yacht Awards, according to Boat International . It is approximately 300 feet and has its own resident helicopter, according to Club Yacht .

Quantum Blue

Sergey Galitsky's ship, Quantum Blue, has an estimated value of $250 million and is last known to be docked in Monaco.

Galitsky is the founder of one of Russia's largest supermarket chains, Magnit.

His name is not currently on the list of sanctioned Russian oligarchs,

Though he also is not the target of any current sanctions, Vladimir Potanin's superyacht, Nirvana, is one of at least four ships docked in the Maldives .

Potanin is the Former First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and was a longtime trustee for the Guggenheim museum before stepping down on March 2, according to The New York Times . 

Nirvana is not Potanin's only superyacht, he also owns another named Barbara, according to Fortune .

Alexander Abramov's Titan, Alexei Mordashovis' Nord, and Oleg Deripaska's Clio are also located in the Maldives.

At 533 feet long, Roman Abramovich's Eclipse was the largest yacht on the globe until 2013 when the 590-foot Azzam overthrew it. 

Abramovich, once Russia's richest man , is the departing owner of Chelsea FC soccer club. He was sanctioned by the UK on Thursday along with six other oligarchs, Insider reported .

The luxury boat has a host of amenities, including two helicopter pads, a missile detection system, and a swimming pool more than 50 feet long. It also has space for up to 36 guests and 70 crew members, according to Yacht Harbour .

Insider previously reported that it is currently docked in the Caribbean .

Another yacht named Solaris is linked to Abramovich. The vessel, worth approximately $600 million, left Spain Tuesday after having been under repair since late 2021, Insider reported.

Solaris is 460 feet and can host a total of 36 guests, according to SuperYachtFan .

Tango, owned by the US-sanctioned Viktor Vekselberg, is currently located in Palma, Spain.

Tango can host up to 14 people and is 254 feet long, won the 2012 World Superyacht Awards, and has an estimated worth of $120 million, according to SuperYachtFan .

Vekselberg is a Ukrainian-born businessman who owns Renova, a Russian conglomerate, according to The Guardian .

He was one of nearly two dozen Russian oligarchs and officials that the US sanctioned on Friday.

The US Treasury Department claims that he has close ties with Putin, and has announced that assets such as his $90 million jet and his superyacht Tango have been frozen, Insider reported .

Graceful, a yacht reported to belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin, left Germany just before his invasion of Ukraine, Insider reported in early February.

—Manu Gómez (@GDarkconrad) February 9, 2022

Graceful is 270 feet long and has a saloon, gym, spa, library, and an indoor pool nearly 50 feet long that doubles as a dance floor.

Scheherazade

A mystery yacht remains untouched as the owner remains a mystery.

The owner of the 459-foot Scheherazade is suspected to be a Russian billionaire, though the owner was never publically identified, The New York Times reported .

Many people believe it belongs to Vladimir Putin, nicknaming the vessel "Putin's Yacht."

SuperYachtFan estimates the ship's value sits at $700 million.

Stella Maris

Stella Maris is linked to oil and gas tycoon Rashid Sardarov. It was last seen in Nice, France, according to The Washington Post .

The luxury vessel is priced at $75 million, is 237 feet long, and can hold up to 14 guests, per SuperYachtFan .

Sardarov is not being sanctioned. 

Sailing Yacht A

Sailing Yacht A is believed to belong to Andrey Melnichenko. The boat was seized by Spanish officials Saturday, Reuters reported .

The ship is more than 465 feet long and can hold up to 20 guests, according to SuperYachtFan . The website says that Sailing Yacht A also features an underwater observation area and has a value of more than $500 million.

Melnichenko is an EU-sanctioned Russian billionaire who works in coal and fertilizers, according to Forbes . The magazine also reported that he owns a second yacht, Motor Yacht A, which is similar to a submarine. 

Oligarch Gennady Timchenko's superyacht "Lena" was seized in the port of Sanremo, Italy on March 5, Reuters reported.

Timchenko is the owner of a private investment group, Volga Group and a shareholder of Bank Rossiya. The oligarch has been sanctioned by the EU, which describes him as a "long-time acquaintance of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin."

Timchenko was also sanctioned by the UK on February 22. 

The superyacht is valued at around 50 million euros ($54 million), Reuters reported. It has fold-down terraces, as well as an "owner's suite" which opens out onto the sea with "gull-wing doors," according to its manufacturer, Sanlorenzo.

Italian authorities also seized a $71 million super-yacht belonging to one of the wealthiest men in Russia , Alexei Mordashov. 

The 215-ft "Lady M" superyacht was seized in the Port of Imperia, northern Italy, a source confirmed to Reuters.

The yacht can accommodate up to six guests on and also has accommodation for four crew members, per the Superyacht Times .

The oligarch, who is the chairman of steel mining company, Severstal, has also been sanctioned by the EU, which says Mordashov is "benefiting from his links with Russian decision-makers." Mordashov has insisted he has "absolutely nothing to do" with Russia's attack on Ukraine. 

The Oligarch moved $1.3 billion worth of shares in travel company, TUI, to an offshore tax haven on the day he was hit by sanctions, Insider's Huileng Tan previously reported. 

He was also added to the UK government's sanctions list on March 15.

Some superyachts belonging to Russian billionaires are currently seeking refuge in the Maldives, including a yacht owned by billionaire Oleg Deripaska, Reuters reported.

The billionaire, who is also the founder of one of Russia's largest industrial groups, Basic Element, was added to the UK's sanctions list on March 10.

Also built by Lürssen, the superyacht - which is around 238 feet long - can accommodate 18 guests in nine cabins, per Superyacht Fan.

The superyacht Valerie - worth $140 million - was seized in Barcelona on Monday, Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, said on La Sexta television, per Reuters.  

Sanchez did not confirm the owner of the yacht, but two sources confirmed to Reuters that it belonged to Sergei Chemezov, who is said to be a close ally of Putin.

The oligarch, who was previously a KGB spy with Putin in the former Soviet Union, recently said that Russia would emerge victorious from Western sanctions, Reuters previously reported . 

Chemezov, who is the CEO of Russian defense conglomerate Rostec was added to the US sanctions list on March 3. 

His yacht is 279 feet long and can accommodate 17 guests in eight suites, per Superyacht Fan.

Crescent, most likely owned by Igor Sechin but also rumored to belong to Putin, was the third yacht Spain seized as the West ramps up sanctions, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The superyacht is 443-feet long and costs an estimated $600 million, according to  SuperyachtFan, which also says the vessel hosts a retractable helicopter hangar and a large pool with a glass bottom.

Lady Anastasia

Lady Anastasia is owned by Russian oligarch Alexander Mikheyev but was seized by Spain on Tuesday, according to Reuters . 

The boat is almost 160 feet long and can hold up to 10 guests, according to Yacht Harbour .

Mikheyev, who was sanctioned by the EU, is the head of a helicopters division under Rostec, New York Mag reported .

• Main content

Who's Paying for Russian Oligarch's Seized Yacht in San Diego Bay?

The amadea, which superyachttimes.com called the 63rd largest yacht in the world, tied up monday at naval base san diego, in national city, by eric s. page and mari payton • published june 28, 2022 • updated on june 28, 2022 at 2:11 pm.

Many San Diegans who saw the news about the Amadea — the $325 million seized Russian oligarch's yacht that docked in San Diego on Monday — may be wondering: Who's paying for that?

Imagine how much the fuel costs to sail it more than 5,000 miles from Fiji, where it was seized earlier this month, to San Diego? A local marine fuel dock quoted the following prices, if you're wondering: $7.40 for gas, $7.35 for diesel. According to SuperYachtTimes.com, the Amadea has a 392,000-liter fuel tank. That works out to about 103,555 gallons, so it could cost $766,307 or so just to fill up.

And then there are maintence costs on a 350-foot long yacht, which, you can be sure, are extensive and necessary — in fact, not undertaking such efforts can cause the vessel's value to decline if it deteriotes due to neglect.

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The Amadea carries a full complement of 36 crew, including the captain, according to SuperYachtTimes, but it won't need nearly that many once she tied up at Naval Base San Diego in National City. Nevertheless, someone will be monitoring the yacht and conducting the maintenance.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the yacht was bought with what it calls "dirty money," and, as such, some may be relieved to hear, will be sold to the highest bidder. Presumably, the associated post-seizure costs accrued after its seizure will be coming off the top of the sale price. Until then, the Amadea, which SuperYachtTimes called the 63rd larges yacht in the world, will resume in the custody of the U.S.

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Officials with the DOJ said the Amadea, which was seized in connection to the department's KleptoCapture campaign undertaken in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, was owned by Suleiman Kerimov a Russian billionaire.

After the yacht arrived in San Diego, John Kirby, a former federal prosecutor, told NBC 7 that he thinks the U.S. government hopes moves like the Amadea's seizure are efforts to apply pressure to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this month, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said, regarding the Amadea, “The department had its eyes on every yacht purchased with dirty money. This yacht seizure should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide — not even in the remotest part of the world. We will use every means of enforcing the sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine.”

The court ruling represented a significant victory for the U.S. as it encounters obstacles in its attempts to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs around the world. While those efforts are welcomed by many who oppose the war in Ukraine, some actions have tested the limits of American jurisdiction abroad.

The United States wasted no time in taking command of the after a Fiji court ruled in its favor and sailed the ship away from the South Pacific nation just hours after the ruling.

"If you could say or somehow prove that this boat … that the oligarch had the money for this boat because he bribed Vladimir Putin, that is public corruption," Kirby said. "It’s a crime even when it takes place outside the United States. The United States can still act upon it."

According the website, the Amadea is not currently for sale, but that may soon change. Until then, you can "shop" for other eye-popping, wallet-busting boats here .

The Associated Press contributed to this report — Ed.

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Germany seized the world's largest mega-yacht worth $600 million belonging to Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, according to Forbes report

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Sanctions against Russia and its oligarchs have been implemented by several countries.

A Russian billionaire had his yacht seized by German authorities Wednesday, according to Forbes.

Alisher Usmanov has spoken highly of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past.

Germany seized Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov's mega-yacht on Wednesday, according to Forbes, which cited multiple unnamed sources.

Usmanov's yacht, which has been docked in Hamburg, Germany, for months for a refitting, is the first to be seized since Russia's attack on Ukraine began on February 24.

Dilbar, a 512-foot yacht that weighs 15,917 tons, "is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage," according to Lürssen , the German ship's maker.

Usmanov bought the custom-built yacht for an estimated $600 million and it took 52 months to build, according to Forbes.

Video: How the 1999 Russian apartment bombings led to Putin's rise to power

The US State Department was unable to confirm to Insider if the yacht was indeed seized. Usmanov and Germany's   Federal Foreign Office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Many countries, including the US and the European Union , have implemented sanctions — financial consequences applied by one party to another — against Russian banks, Russian oligarchs, and even Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an effort to end the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Usmanov's assets were frozen as part of sanctions levied by the European Union, according to the Guardian. After the European Union announced sanctions against Usmanov and other Russian oligarchs, he stepped down as President of the International Fencing Federation, one of his companies.

"I believe that such a decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation," Usmanov said in a statement on the company's website.

"I hereby suspend the exercise of my duties as the President of the International Fencing Federation effective immediately until justice is restored," he added.

The oligarch has historically supported Russian President Vladimir Putin, though he has not commented on the current attack on Ukraine.

"I am proud that I know Putin, and the fact that everybody does not like him is not Putin's problem," the Uzbekistan-born oligarch told Forbes in a 2010 interview .

Read the original article on Business Insider

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U.S. targets Russian oligarchs as it weighs response to Navalny’s death

A justice department task force has looked to intensify financial penalties against moscow’s financial elite.

U.S. officials unveiled a sweeping set of legal actions against Russian oligarchs and their allies on Thursday, as the Biden administration aims to intensify the financial pressure on President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

Justice Department officials announced the arrests of two “facilitators” of one sanctioned Russian oligarch, while also moving to seize two luxury condominiums in Miami held by another Russian oligarch already under U.S. sanctions. The Justice Department also filed a separate indictment against an official in connection with an alleged scheme to operate a luxury yacht owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch, and it highlighted a guilty plea related to money laundering on behalf of other sanctioned Russian entities.

The flurry of legal actions come as the United States looks for ways to respond to Putin over the sudden death last week of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in an Arctic prison colony. White House officials said earlier this week that the administration will release new sanctions against Russia over Navalny’s death, although it is unclear how effective these financial penalties could prove. The United States has targeted Russia’s economy with economic penalties over the war in Ukraine for roughly two years, since the beginning of the invasion, and yet Russia’s economy grew substantially last year and is expected to continue to grow this year.

Despite the sanctions push, the Kremlin continues to reap billions of dollars from energy sales that the Western allies, wary of spiking gas prices , have not moved to cut off fully. Some experts predicted that stringent U.S. penalties on Russian oligarchs would prompt them to turn on Putin and endanger his hold on power, but, at least so far, those hopes have not materialized. Washington has led its international allies in imposing a price cap on the sales of Russian oil, but some analysts say it must be more rigorously enforced.

“Sanctions against Russian oligarchs push in the right direction, but are not enough,” said Simon Johnson, an MIT economist. “The missing element is the enforcement of the Russian oil price cap, to really squeeze the Kremlin’s revenues.”

The actions announced Thursday were spearheaded by the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture task force, which was formed in March 2022 to target Russian oligarchs as a main plank of the Western response to the invasion of Ukraine. To date, the task force has filed 70 criminal charges against individuals and five charges against corporate entities, while moving to restrain or forfeit approximately $700 million in assets, according to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

U.S. officials, briefing reporters on Thursday, said roughly $6 million in seized Russian assets have been transferred to Ukraine, primarily for help with veterans of the war.

“Since the onset of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the Justice Department has used every tool in our arsenal — including our international partnerships — to target the criminal actors and activity propping up Vladimir Putin, his henchmen, and his illegal war,” Monaco said in a statement.

The Justice Department said authorities in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York unsealed charges against three people, including sanctioned oligarch Andrey Kostin, and arrested two people accused of being Kostin’s “facilitators.” The United States also filed a civil forfeiture complaint to seize two Miami luxury condo properties, located at the Ritz Carlton in Bal Harbour and valued at $2.5 million, owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Perevalov.

Other charges included a new indictment against Vladislav Osipov on charges of bank fraud in connection with operating the Motor Yacht Tango, a 255-foot luxury yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. An attorney for Osipov has argued that the charges should be dismissed, writing in legal filings that business on behalf of the yacht did not violate U.S. sanctions law.

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A massive $325 million superyacht owned by a Russian oligarch — and seized on behalf of the United States last month — has made its way across the Pacific and into American custody.

“After a transpacific journey of over 5,000 miles, the Amadea has safely docked in a port within the United States, and will remain in the custody of the U.S. government, pending its anticipated forfeiture and sale,” the Department of Justice said in a statement.

The Amadea, a 384 foot behemoth topped with four massive radar domes came into San Diego Bay Monday flying the American flag.

According to the DOJ, prior to its seizure the ship was owned by Suleiman Kerimov, an alleged money launderer sanctioned by the US in 2018 over the Russian annexation of Crimea.

The ship was seized last month by Task Force KleptoCapture , a DOJ team launched in March to seize the assets of Kremlin allies and Russian elites in an effort to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.

A legal battle ensued, however, as an attorney for the company that owns the vessel — Millemarin Investments — argued that the Amadea was actually the property of a different wealthy Russian, one who was not under US sanction .

US officials argued in Fijian court that that Russian, Eduard Khudainatov, was merely the owner on paper — and that he is similarly the “paper owner” of a yacht believed to truly belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US questioned how Khudainatov could afford some $1 billion in boats.

“The fact that Khudainatov is being held out as the owner of two of the largest superyachts on record, both linked to sanctioned individuals, suggests that Khudainatov is being used as a clean, unsanctioned straw owner to conceal the true beneficial owners,” the FBI wrote in a court affidavit.

Ultimately, the Fijian court ruled in the DOJ’s favor. The Amadea made one stop in Honolulu, according to American authorities, before sailing for San Diego.

With Post wires

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Caribbean officials search for 2 aboard a hijacked yacht

• By Danica Coto / Associated Press

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COLIN PERKEL/THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP / 2012

A part of Grenada’s western coastline. Authorities in the eastern Caribbean said they were trying to locate two people believed to be U.S. citizens who were aboard a yacht that was hijacked by three escaped prisoners from Grenada. The Royal Grenada Police Force said in a statement released on Friday, Feb. 23, that they were working on leads “that suggest” the two occupants of the yacht may have been killed.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico >> Authorities in the eastern Caribbean said they were trying to locate two people believed to be U.S. citizens who were aboard a yacht that was hijacked by three escaped prisoners from Grenada.

The Royal Grenada Police Force said in a statement released on Friday that they were working on leads “that suggest” the two occupants of the yacht may have been killed.

“This investigation is in its infancy stage,” police said.

The nonprofit Salty Dawg Sailing Association identified the owners as Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel. It said they are “veteran cruisers” and longtime members of the association, calling them “warmhearted and capable.” A relative of Hendry didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment on Saturday.

The association said that a cruising skipper had contacted the association about a member’s yacht, Simplicity, that was found “anchored and abandoned” off a beach on the island of St. Vincent.

“The good Samaritan had boarded the boat and noted that the owners … were not onboard and found evidence of apparent violence,” the association said in a statement Thursday.

The association said Hendry and Brandel had sailed the yacht in last year’s Caribbean Rally from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua, and were spending the winter cruising in the eastern Caribbean.

“This is a very upsetting event and details are still unconfirmed by the authorities, but this does appear to be a tragic event,” said Bob Osborn, the association’s president. “In all my years of cruising the Caribbean, I have never heard of anything like this.”

Authorities in Grenada said they have dispatched senior investigators and a forensic specialist to the nearby island of St. Vincent, where the escaped prisoners were arrested on Wednesday.

The prisoners, ages 19, 25 and 30, were charged a couple of months ago with one count of robbery with violence. The eldest inmate also was charged with one count of rape, three counts of attempted rape and two counts of indecent assault and causing harm, police in Grenada said.

The three men escaped from their holding cell on Feb. 18, according to police.

Authorities said a preliminary investigation suggests that the three men seized the yacht from Grenada’s capital, St. George’s, and traveled to St. Vincent. The owners of the yacht haven’t been identified.

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Caribbean officials search for 2 people who were on yacht allegedly hijacked by 3 escaped prisoners

Investigators from Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines stand aboard the yacht “Simplicity”, that they say was hijacked by 3 escaped prisoners with two people aboard, now anchored at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coastguard Service Calliaqua Base, in Calliaqua, St. Vincent, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Authorities in the eastern Caribbean said they were trying to locate two people believed to be U.S. citizens who were aboard the yacht that was hijacked by the three escaped prisoners from Grenada. (AP Photo/Kenton X. Chance)

The yacht “Simplicity”, that officials say was hijacked by three escaped prisoners with two people aboard, is docked at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coastguard Service Calliaqua Base, in Calliaqua, St. Vincent, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Authorities in the eastern Caribbean said they were trying to locate two people believed to be U.S. citizens who were aboard the yacht that was hijacked by the three escaped prisoners from Grenada. (AP Photo/Kenton X. Chance)

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in the eastern Caribbean said they were trying to locate two people believed to be U.S. citizens who were aboard a yacht that was hijacked by three escaped prisoners from Grenada.

The Royal Grenada Police Force said in a statement released Friday that they were working on leads “that suggest” the two occupants of the yacht might have been killed.

“This investigation is in its infancy stage,” police said.

The nonprofit Salty Dawg Sailing Association identified the owners as Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel. It said they were “veteran cruisers” and longtime members of the association, calling them “warmhearted and capable.” A relative of Hendry didn’t return a message seeking comment Saturday.

The association said a cruising skipper had contacted the association about a member’s yacht, Simplicity, that was found “anchored and abandoned” off a beach on the island of St. Vincent.

“The good Samaritan had boarded the boat and noted that the owners … were not onboard and found evidence of apparent violence,” the association said in a statement Thursday.

The association said Hendry and Brandel had sailed the yacht in last year’s Caribbean Rally from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua, and were spending the winter cruising in the eastern Caribbean.

“This is a very upsetting event and details are still unconfirmed by the authorities, but this does appear to be a tragic event,” said Bob Osborn, the association’s president. “In all my years of cruising the Caribbean, I have never heard of anything like this.”

Family members of those missing met with authorities in St. Vincent on Saturday, where they were seen boarding the yacht that was hijacked. It was being guarded by officials, one of whom was wearing latex gloves.

Hendry’s family issued a statement Saturday thanking police, local coast guards and all those who helped authorities gather information.

“It means so much to us that so many people cared for Ralph and Kathy as friends and fellow cruisers that they are willing to stop and help in whatever way possible,” the family said.

They also asked that all those trying to conduct independent searches to “stand down.”

“The only way we feel this situation could be worse would be if anyone was hurt or endangered trying to conduct searches,” the family said.

Authorities in Grenada said they had dispatched senior investigators and a forensic specialist to the nearby island of St. Vincent, where the escaped prisoners were arrested Wednesday.

The prisoners, ages 19, 25 and 30, were charged a couple of months ago with one count of robbery with violence. The eldest inmate also was charged with one count of rape, three counts of attempted rape and two counts of indecent assault and causing harm, police in Grenada said.

The three men escaped from their holding cell Feb. 18, according to police.

Authorities said a preliminary investigation suggested the three men seized the yacht at Grenada’s capital, St. George’s, and traveled to St. Vincent.