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Germany seizes the world's largest yacht (at least according to volume)

Rachel Treisman

The luxury superyacht Dilbar sails off the coast of Monaco in 2017. Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The luxury superyacht Dilbar sails off the coast of Monaco in 2017.

German authorities have seized the world's largest yacht by volume after determining that a Russian oligarch had transferred its ownership to his sister — who is also facing Western sanctions.

Dilbar, the yacht in question, measures some 511 feet and 15,917 tons, which shipbuilder Lurssen says makes it the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage. It has two helipads and one of the biggest indoor pools ever installed on a yacht, according to the U.S. Treasury Department , which puts its estimated worth between $600 and $735 million.

Why so many Russian billionaires are called oligarchs

The superyacht is named after the mother of its original owner: Alisher Usmanov, one of Russia's wealthiest billionaires and a known close associate of the Russian president. Usmanov was sanctioned by the U.S., United Kingdom., European Union and Switzerland in March, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Germany's federal police tweeted Wednesday that it found, "through extensive investigations despite offshore concealment," that the yacht currently belongs to Usmanov's sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova. Authorities impounded the yacht, which remains at the port of Hamburg , after confirming with Brussels that its owner is under sanctions.

A Russian billionaire's superyacht has been impounded in Hamburg, Germany. Harsh sanctions in response to the invasion of #Ukraine brought the estimated $600-750 million yacht Dilbar out of 'offshore concealment', and into the hands of authorities. pic.twitter.com/GYkH6SmQk2 — German Embassy (@GermanyinUSA) April 14, 2022

Ismailova was sanctioned by the U.K. on Wednesday and the EU last week. Both entities said Usmanov had indirectly transferred assets to his sister, including leaving her as Dilbar's only beneficial owner.

"The owner of the yacht 'Dilbar' is Navis Marine Ltd. (Cayman Islands), whose shareholder is Almenor Holdings Ltd. (Cyprus). All shares in that holding company are held by PomerolCapital SA (Switzerland) in trust for the benefit of 'The Sisters Trust,' " EU officials explained, adding that Usmanov has not been a shareholder of that trust company since 2017.

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A russian oligarch's $90 million yacht is seized as part of u.s. sanctions.

Ukrainian sailors tried to block a Russian oligarch's yacht from docking in Turkey

Ismailova has also been linked to luxury real estate in Italy and Latvia associated with Usmanov, the EU said, and therefore has "actively supported materially or financially Russian decision-makers responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine."

Dilbar made headlines in early March , when Hamburg officials denied conflicting reports that they had seized the superyacht and said any such move would have to come from higher federal customs authorities.

According to Boat International, Dilbar is also the fourth-longest yacht in the world. It can accommodate up to 96 crew members as well as 24 guests in a large living space, which includes fold-out balconies, an onboard garden (with "a specifically developed variety of grass that tolerates salt air") and more than 1,000 custom-made sofa cushions.

This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog .

• Russia sanctions

Germany seizes $594 million 512-foot super yacht that Russia’s sixth-richest man named after his mother

Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s superyacht, the world’s largest by volume, was seized by German authorities in Hamburg, according to Forbes.

The German government has frozen the Dilbar, Usmanov’s 512-foot yacht, the publication said, citing three unidentified industry sources. Built in 2016 and named after his mother, the boat is estimated to be worth $594 million, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The European Union adopted  sanctions  on six of Russia’s wealthiest individuals on Monday, including Usmanov, who called the decision “unfair” and “defamatory.” The Dilbar had been undergoing refitting in the northern German city.

Superyachts and other opulent displays of wealth among Russia’s elite have drawn intense scrutiny since the country’s invasion of Ukraine, even making it into U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.

“We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets,” Biden  said  during Tuesday’s address.

Five other individuals were named in the latest EU sanctions: Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, Alexey Mordashov, Gennady Timchenko and Alexander Ponomarenko. Mordashov owns two superyachts: the Nord, which is in the Seychelles, and Lady M, anchored in Imperia, Italy. 

Some Russian tycoons also still have superyachts docked in Europe. Roman Abramovich’s Solaris is in Barcelona; Iskandar Makhmudov’s Predator is in Genoa, Italy; and Vagit Alekperov’s Galactic Super Nova is in Montenegro, among others, according to data tracked by Bloomberg.

Usmanov, 68, owns a major stake in USM, a Russian investment group with holdings in Metalloinvest, one of the world’s largest iron ore producers, and telecommunications company MegaFon. He’s the sixth-richest Russian with a fortune of $19.5 billion, according to Bloomberg’s wealth index, though that figure includes the Dilbar. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been sanctioned by U.S., EU and U.K. authorities. He has been linked by news organizations including Business Insider to the superyacht Graceful. 

That boat left Hamburg Feb. 7, about two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. It’s now in Kaliningrad, Russia. 

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World’s largest yacht, linked to Russian billionaire, seized by Germany

The shipbuilder behind the world’s largest yacht by tonnage describes it as “one of the most complex and challenging yachts ever built,” with “entertainment and recreation spaces never before seen on” such a vessel, and an interior of “rare and exclusive luxury materials.”

It has two helipads and the largest yacht pool ever built, and it can accommodate 36 guests and 96 staff. And this week, it was impounded by German authorities for its ties to a Russian oligarch.

Germany’s federal police said Tuesday that “through extensive investigations despite offshore concealment,” it found that the yacht is owned by Gulbakhor Ismailova, the sister of Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.

After police confirmed with Brussels that the vessel’s owner was sanctioned, the superyacht — named Dilbar, after Usmanov’s mother, according to the U.S. Treasury Department — was impounded. It is being held in the Port of Hamburg in Germany.

Meanwhile, in Fiji, police are reportedly investigating a superyacht, suspected of being owned by Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov , which docked in the Pacific island nation this week.

The Dilbar, the yacht impounded in Germany, is registered in the Cayman Islands, according to the Treasury Department, and worth between $600 million and $735 million, with an estimated annual running cost of $60 million.

There are larger yachts by length. But at 15,917 tons, the Dilbar is the world’s largest yacht by internal volume, according to the ship’s maker, Lürssen, which touts its “classic profile with a light ivory hull and bronze accents.”

Usmanov is “known to be close to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin as well as Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia and former President and Prime Minister of Russia,” the Treasury Department said, alleging that his ties to the Kremlin “enrich him and enable his luxurious lifestyle.”

In the early days of the invasion, President Biden warned Russian oligarchs: “We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets.”

U.S. hunt for Russian oligarchs’ huge fortunes faces barriers offshore

The United States said on March 3 that it had sanctioned Usmanov, alleging he was among the “key elites” allowing Putin to wage his war on Ukraine. Experts from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe determined in a fact-finding report published Wednesday that Russia broke international humanitarian law by deliberately targeting civilians during its invasion of Ukraine. The United States and other nations have accused Russia of committing war crimes there, and Biden on Tuesday said Putin was committing “ genocide ” in Ukraine.

Usmanov, 68, is the 86th-richest person in the world, with an estimated fortune of $19.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index . He has “vast holdings across multiple sectors” of Russia’s economy and internationally, the Treasury Department said, including a 49 percent stake in USM, a holding company that controls Russia’s largest iron ore producer, according to Bloomberg.

A representative for Usmanov was not immediately available, and USM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the Fiji case, an official at the National Police Command and Control Center told Reuters that the captain of the vessel, which arrived Tuesday, was being questioned about how it came to Fiji without customs clearance.

Kerimov has been sanctioned by the United States, Britain and the European Union, but questions about the ownership of the luxury vessel remain. Police have seized the superyacht, called the Amadea, a 348-foot vessel worth $325 million, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The U.S. Embassy in Suva told the Fiji Times it is “cooperating with Fijian authorities on the matter” and is “committed to finding and seizing the assets of the oligarchs who have supported the Russian Federation’s brutal, unprovoked war of choice against Ukraine.”

Adela Suliman in London contributed to this report.

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Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov's $735 million superyacht, Dilbar — the largest in the world — has been impounded in Germany

• German authorities have impounded a $750 million superyacht associated with Alisher Usmanov.
• Police said an investigation into "offshore concealment" found the owner was Usmanov's sister.
• Dilbar was speculated to have been seized last month, but officials denied it at the time.

Germany's Federal Police have seized the largest megayacht in the world after determining it to be owned by the sister of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

The police said they were able to find the owner after an investigation into " offshore concealment " and that the boat would remain at a shipyard in Hamburg.

—Bundeskriminalamt (@bka) April 13, 2022

The European Union's sanctions lists include Alisher Usmanov's sister Gulbakhor Ismailova and say that he "indirectly transferred assets," including Dilbar, to her.

Related stories

The 512-foot yacht was thought to be under German government control in March when it was spotted at the Blohm+Voss shipyard, where it had been undergoing a refitting since October. Officials denied those reports at the time.

Shortly afterward, the yacht's crew was fired after wages could not be paid because of sanctions, Forbes reported.

With two helipads and the largest indoor pool ever installed on a yacht, Dilbar is worth between $600 million and $735 million and costs $60 million a year to maintain, according to the US Treasury Department.

The UK government estimated Usmanov was worth $18.4 billion from interests in metals, mining, and telecoms, and the EU called him one of " Putin's favorite oligarchs ."

Dilbar is named for Usmanov's mother.

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• Main content

• Impressions

Delivered in 2016, Dilbar is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage. She is one of the most complex and challenging yachts ever built, in terms of both dimensions and technology. At 15,917 tons, the 156-meter superyacht features entertainment and recreation spaces never before seen on a yacht. These include a 25-meter swimming pool that holds an incredible 180 m³ of water, the largest pool ever to have been installed on a yacht. The exterior design, a classic profile with a light ivory hull and bronze accents, was developed by Espen Øino International. Her spectacular interior, created by the Winch Design team, uses rare and exclusive luxury materials.

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Dilbar – the world’s largest super yacht

Dilbar – the world’s largest super yacht launched on 14 November 2015 at the Lürssen shipyard.

It was built as Project Omar. The interior design of Dilbar was designed by Andrew Winch. The exterior by Espen Oeino.

As of 2020, Dilbar Mega Yacht is the sixth longest yacht in the world. At 15,917 gross tons, it is the third largest yacht by volume, after Fulk Al Salamah and REV Ocean.

The length of the yacht is 156 m, with a beam of 24 m and a draft of 6.1 m.

Dilbar features a displacement steel hull with an aluminium superstructure. High quality teak is the selected material for decks. This yacht meets “Lloyd’s Register classification society rules”. Also, Dilbar meets “Safety of Life at Sea” requirements. Her flag state is Cayman Islands.

These include a 25-meter swimming pool that holds an incredible 180 m³ of water, the largest pool ever to have been installed on a yacht. Espen Øino International was exterior designer. Her spectacular interior, created by the Winch Design team, uses rare and exclusive luxury materials.

We know that it has two hellipads and 41,000 square feet of living space, but beyond that, details on the yacht are few and far between.

Dilbar, the world’s largest super yacht owner

Dilbar was custom-built for Alisher Usmanov, a 62-year-old Russian billionaire who is one of Arsenal FC’s largest shareholders. Usmanov has an estimated networth of $13.4 billion USD, making him one of Russia’s richest citizens. The billionaire’s new yacht completed sea trials earlier in the year and was recently spotted around Gibraltar and France. Unfortunately, as is the case with many vessels custom built for the super-rich, the details of Dilbar’s interior and amenities remain a secret.

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By itself, a personal helicopter is a fact already speaking about the viability of its owner, and here he is like a small detail. Well, a helicopter and a helicopter.

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Alisher Usmanov’s Yacht Dilbar: Everything You Want To Know

Dilbar can be translated a few ways but, in general, it means “lover” or “one with a blossoming heart” and other things along those lines. It was also the name of the yacht owner’s mother. The yacht bearing the name has become one of the most famous yachts in the world thanks to its size, its price and its stunning amenities. 

She was built by Lürssen, a German shipyard, and designed by English yacht designer Andrew Winch on the interior while Espen Øino International handled the exterior. The designers have gone on record saying it was one of the most challenging yachts they have ever built thanks to the size and all the custom elements including exclusive luxury materials. It took nearly four years for the yacht to be built. Over 680 miles of cable and wiring was used in the construction to ensure power is provided to all corners of the vessel. The yacht’s owner had it registered in the Cayman Islands.

Dilbar features a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. 

Who Owns the Dilbar Yacht

The yacht Dilbar was launched back in 2015 and is owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, president of the International Fencing Federation. A Russian oligarch, Usmanov became a billionaire after the fall of the Soviet Union in the metal and mining industries. Since then he’s gotten into communications, publishing and much more. He’s currently one of the 100 richest people in the world.

Usmanov previously owned a much smaller yacht called Dilbar as well but he changed the name of the smaller vessel to Al Raya when he upgraded to this particular one.

In March 2022, Dilbar was seized by German authorities. Numerous international assets owned by Russian oligarchs, most notably yachts, have been taken into custody by international authorities as a part of sanctions against Russia for their aggressions in the Ukraine War. It is unclear if the yacht will be returned once the war has ended or if something else is in store.

There is also some talk that Usmanov himself may not technically be the owner of Dilar and that ownership, on paper, may actually be linked to his sister. This is potentially related to some illegal activity and was being investigated by German authorities. 

How Big is the Dilbar Yacht?

One of the reasons Dilbar is so well known is because it’s one of the largest yachts in the world . It currently ranks as the sixth longest at a staggering 511’10” long. The yacht has a gross tonnage of 15,917 and a beam of just over 77 feet. The draft is nearly 20 feet. This makes her the third largest yacht in the world by volume.

Inside Dilbar Yacht 

There is a total of 3,800 square meters of living space inside the yacht for 24 guests. This can actually be increased by the use of a number of fold out balconies. There is additional room for the 80-person crew as well. The crew can also be increased to 96 if there is need as the space is available to accommodate so many.

The average apartment in New York is 866 square feet. Dilbar’s 3,800 square meters works out to about 40,900 square feet. That means this yacht is equal to roughly 47 average New York apartments in terms of living space.

In terms of luxury amenities, the Dilbar has some unusual ones. Aside from the giant swimming pool, there’s even a full garden. The grass is a variety designed to handle living in salt air and all of the plants are native to the regions of Europe that Dilbar travels between so it can avoid sanctions about bringing foreign plants from one country to another. 

Comfort was the order of the day for interior as exemplified by something as simple as cushions. There are over 1,000 custom made cushions on board, each designed to match the interior of the rooms they were designed for. Accents in many parts are bronze and light ivory. It’s said that many materials were rare or luxury items but the fine details of what went into the overall interior design have been mostly kept under wraps.

While many superyachts have a helipad these days, Dilbar features two of them. Oneis located near the bow while the second is closer to aft on the top deck flybridge.

There is a beach deck on board as well as a floating observation bay for guests to enjoy. As expected you can also enjoy amenities like a gym, a sauna and a spa. There are several tenders including a limo tender available to ferry passengers to and from shore.

Helicopter Tender

Many superyachts have tenders for guests and Dilbar is no different as we’ve seen. However, one major difference is that Dilbar also has an AirBus Tender. That’s a large, $20 million custom helicopter tender with room for 7 passengers. The interior is designed with a lounge seating area. There’s a forward lounge that can hold 4 passengers. It faces a gallery and the sofa-seating area where three more passengers can be seated. 

The windows of the helicopter can be electronically dimmed for privacy and there’s also mood lighting inside. In-flight entertainment system can be accessed with touch screens as well.

How Fast is the Dilbar Yacht

Dilbar can get up to a top speed of 22.5 knots and a cruising speed of about 16 knots. It’s powered by an electric-diesel hybrid power source that provides 30,000 KW of power. According to the builders, this was the largest power plant ever installed on a yacht.  She runs on 4 Wärtsilä engines each producing 8,158 HP.

What’s Special About the Dilbar Yacht Pool?

The pool on the Dilbar is the largest pool ever installed on a yacht. It measures 25 meters in length which is just over 82 feet. It holds 180 m³ of water which is 47,551 gallons. A gallon of water weighs just over 8 lbs so if that pool is filled, it increases the total weight of the yacht by 396,575 pounds or nearly 200 tons.

What Was the Price of the Yacht Dilbar?

It’s not 100% clear what Usmanov paid initially for the Dilbar but its value has been assessed at $600 million to $735 million by the US Treasury department. That makes it one of the most expensive yachts ever. With a crew of about 80, the estimated annual running cost of the yacht is as much as $50 million to $80 million.

Based on some reports the yacht has a capacity for 1,000,049 liters of fuel or about 220,000 gallons. Diesel for a yacht can cost around $3 per gallon so the cost of a full refuel would be around $660,000. Apparently refueling a beast like this requires a firetruck be on hand in case something goes wrong. 

How Much Does it Cost to Charter Superyacht Dilbar?

The yacht is currently in the custody of German authorities and no one at all besides the government has access to it. That said, even before the yacht was seized it was not made available for yacht charter and was only used by its owner as far as anyone knows. 

The Bottom Line

Dilbar hit the seas in 2016 and is owned by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, though the German government has since seized it. It is the largest motor yacht in the world by volume and the sixth longest in the world overall. The value of the yacht, according to US authorities, could be as much as $735 million. It’s unknown if the Dilbar yacht owner will be getting custody of the yacht again anytime soon.

Many of the features of the yacht are only partially known but what is known is that the yacht has the biggest swimming pool on the sea. It also has a custom made garden with plants designed to handle the salt air. There is a massive living space on board unlike any other yacht on the sea as well. Guests also have access not just to tender boats but a helicopter tender as well. 

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DILBAR yacht NOT for charter*

156m  /  511'10 | lurssen | 2016.

Owner & Guests

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Elevator for easy access between floors
• Impressive 6,000nm range
• Multi-award winning
• Comfortable Movie Theatre
• Generous pool

The multi-award winning 156m/511'10" motor yacht 'Dilbar' was built by Lurssen in Germany at their Lemwerder shipyard. Her interior is styled by British designer design house Winch Design and she was delivered to her owner in May 2016. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Espen Oeino.

Guest Accommodation

Dilbar has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 24 guests in 12 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 96 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include separate crew passageway, movie theatre, beauty salon, elevator, underwater lights, gym and air conditioning.

Range & Performance

Dilbar is built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks. Powered by twin diesel-electric Wartsila (Electric Motor) 16,092hp engines running at 200rpm, she comfortably cruises at 18 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 22 knots with a range of up to 6,000 nautical miles from her 1,049,700 litre fuel tanks at 16 knots. Dilbar features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels. Her water tanks store around 112,000 Litres of fresh water. She was built to Lloyds Register ✠ 100A1, PASSENGER SHIP, SHIPRIGHT (ACS(B), SDA, CM) ✠ LMC, UMS classification society rules.

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Motor yacht Dilbar is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

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Dilbar Awards & Nominations

• The World Superyacht Awards 2017 Motor Yacht of the Year Winner
• The World Superyacht Awards 2017 Best Displacement Motor Yacht of 3,000GT and above (approximately 85m+) Winner
• International Superyacht Society Awards 2017 Best Power 65m+ Nomination

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

M/Y Dilbar

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Yacht Dilbar: Who Is the Billionaire Owner of the Superyacht?

The 156m Lurssen superyacht  Dilbar  is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage.  Dilbar  is worth a fortune and filled with countless luxuries, but who is the owner of the yacht, and how did they amass their fortune? Read on to find out.

http://www.instagram.com/p/CYtGKQVIWBV/

Who is the owner of Yacht Dilbar?

The owner of  Dilbar  is Alisher Usmanov, one of Russia’s richest men. The Uzbek-born billionaire has a staggering net worth of £13.706bn. It’s with this immense fortune that he bought the 156m  Dilbar in 2016 . Based on her gross tonnage of 15,917,  Dilbar  is estimated to have a worth of between $800 and $1bn, making her one of the highest value superyachts in the world.

How did Alisher Usmanov get rich?

Alisher Usmanov is amongst the wealthiest citizens of Russia. He stands alongside billionaires like Roman Abramovich and Vladimir Putin ( who owns a whole fleet of yachts himself ). Over the years, Usmanov has accumulated his wealth through various ventures, ranging from selling plastic bags to being an early investor in Facebook. However, his high net worth is mostly due to his involvement in the mining and investment industries. Usmanov has shown no sign of slowing down, with his worth increasing by a substantial 1.726bn between 2020-2021. Importantly he makes sure to use his money to benefit others – of everyone on the  Sunday Times Rich List  he is by far the most charitable, giving almost £500m in the past year alone.

Click here for all the latest superyacht news

Pandora Papers Name Alleged Offshore Beneficiaries with Putin Links

Leaked financial papers published by an international group of investigative journalists Sunday implicated several close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin in allegedly hiding mass amounts of wealth in offshore firms. 

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists said that Russian nationals are “disproportionately represented” in the Pandora Papers, with 14% of the more than 27,000 named companies having Russian beneficiaries and 46 Russian oligarchs found to use offshore companies.

The investigative news website iStories, ICIJ’s partner organization in Russia, delved into the biggest names in Putin’s inner circle implicated in the leak:  

Konstantin Ernst 

iStories reported that Ernst, the CEO of Russia’s largest state television channel, made billions of rubles by demolishing Soviet-era cinemas in Moscow and building shopping malls in their place through an offshore company.   

Ernst, 60, registered an offshore in his name in the British Virgin Islands in 2014, the same year he orchestrated the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

In November 2014, Moscow city authorities auctioned off 39 historic Soviet-era cinemas across the capital to a company linked to Ernst’s offshore firm, Moscow Dvorik Ltd. The leaked files also show that Ernst was the beneficiary of a $16.2 million loan — from a Cyprus bank partly owned by Russian state-owned bank VTB — used to fund his stake in the deal. 

Ernst denied that the deal was part of his compensation for the Winter Olympics ceremonies and told ICIJ that he did not do anything illegal, because “this is how my parents raised me.”

While he confirmed that he was linked to Moscow Dvorik, Ernst did not explain why he registered a company in the British Virgin Islands; why his partner denied his involvement in this business; or why lawyers demanded that the offshore registrar not send information about shareholders to the British Virgin Islands’ corporate register.  

Rostec 

The family of Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec, hid properties worth 22 billion rubles — including a superyacht and a villa in Spain — in offshore firms, iStories said . 

Chemezov, who is under U.S. and EU sanctions, is considered one of Putin’s closest associates and one of the most influential figures at the intersection of Russian business and politics. 

According to the investigation, Chemezov's stepdaughter Anastasia Ignatova is the owner of British Virgin Islands-registered offshore Delima Services Ltd., to which the 85-meter, $140 million yacht is registered. She also allegedly owns a hacienda in Spain with an estimated worth of 15 million euros.   

The Pandora Papers uncovered a new luxury villa in Spain allegedly owned by Ignatova and Chemezov’s mother-in-law Lyudmila Rukavishnikova via the offshore Penimar Holdings Ltd., among other assets.  

Putin’s alleged mistress   

Financial records analyzed by ICIJ also found that Putin’s alleged mistress Svetlana Krivonogikh purchased a $4.1 million apartment in Monaco via an offshore company that she became beneficiary of in 2006. 

The company was reportedly set up weeks after Krivonogikh gave birth in 2003 to Luiza Vladimirovna Rozova, whom Russian investigative reporters named as Putin’s alleged extramarital daughter last year.

Russian authorities banned Proekt, the investigative outlet that broke the story on Putin’s alleged extramarital daughter, as an “undesirable” organization this summer  and placed several of its journalists on their list of “foreign agents.”   

Sberbank’s CEO  

German Gref, the CEO of state-owned lender Sberbank, established an offshore company in Singapore which was used to store more than $55 million in family assets, according to documents obtained by the Pandora Papers.

The beneficiaries of the family offshore Angelus Trust were Gref’s wife Yana, son Oleg, daughters Maria and Eva, brother Eugene and an individual named Philip Albert Gref, the investigation said. 

Transneft   

The son-in-law of Nikolai Tokarev, the head of state-owned oil pipeline giant Transneft and a longtime acquaintance and colleague of Putin, became a citizen of Cyprus and set up offshores to manage Transneft’s contractors with contracts worth billions of rubles, iStories said.   

Tokarev’s daughter Maya Bolotova and her now ex-husband Andrei Bolotov received passports from EU member Cyprus in 2014, the same year that Transneft was sanctioned by the EU.  

Financial records cited by the Pandora Papers show that Bolotov was the beneficiary of a dozen offshore companies. In 2014-2015, Bolotov was the beneficiary of at least three Cypriot companies through firms registered in the British Virgin Islands together with Georgy Bedzhamov, the former co-owner of Vneshprombank who was under investigation for embezzlement of over 100 billion rubles in 2015. 

Honorable mentions 

Roman Putin,  a son of the president’s cousin and the beneficiary of Infinite Capital Corp, registered in 2012 in the Seychelles, and its owner until 2013.

Nikolai Yegorov, one of Putin’s university friends and since 2016 also the owner of Pollux Global Corp registered in the British Virgin Islands. Since 2018, the company has been in the process of liquidation.

Victor Khmarin , another university friend of Putin’s who became a beneficiary of the British Virgin Islands-registered offshore Luciano Services Corp.

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Superyacht insider interview: arrow monaco owner and ceo yerin hobson.

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Arrow Monaco CEO Yerin Hobson

One of the many things I’ve learned after decades of writing about superyachts is…there’s always more to learn. And that’s why I’m so excited Arrow Monaco owner and CEO Yerin Hobson agreed to talk to me recently. Arrow Monaco is yacht and project management company with a team of 40 people (in offices in Monaco and Ft. Lauderdale) who are currently managing almost 20 new builds and five refits.

And since they handle everything from helping an owner find the right yacht designer down to the finest construction cost and detail, I’ve learned just how important they are in the superyacht industry even though they usually operate behind the scenes and below the radar. With roots in the practical skills needed for day-to-day large yacht operations at sea and on shore Yerin’s team can do “almost anything.” And as Yerin explains, when it comes to managing every aspect of superyacht design, construction, and operation, being able to have the technical know-how and experience to do “almost anything” comes in handy on a regular basis.

BS: I’ve been to plenty of shipyards. And I’ve visited lots of yacht design studios. But I never really understood how critical companies like Arrow Monaco are to the superyacht industry. Can you give me an example of how Arrow Monaco manages a new build?

YH: Absolutely. A good example is an 80 meter new build project we signed the day before the Monaco Yacht Show started in September last year. We were appointed at ground zero, so one of the first things we did was write the technical specification along with interior and exterior designer for the entire project.

Then we approached three different shipyards and selected one based on the price and the technical information that they came back with. After that, we entered a four-month R&D phase that includes all the technical documentation and to signing of the build contract. The importance is the detail. Writing the specification from the very start of the project helps us protect the client against future issues. And as of today, there has not been one single variation to contract or cost change on this project.

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BS: can you tell me a little bit about how you formed the relationship with a client that allows you to sort of have that ability to be so exacting right from the beginning?

YH: Trust is everything. For this specific client, I went to meet with him when he was chartering a large yacht in the Caribbean. When it comes to building trust, nothing compares with sitting across the table with the client, designers, and shipyard reps.

When the client understands that we really know what we are doing, and you have a team that has been doing this for a long time, it's key. Trust is everything because this relationship is for life. It's not just building the boat. It's then operating the boat. Dealing with refits. It's a lifelong relationship. They can also trust us became we are not brokers and have zero commissions.

BS: So, what happens after you successfully navigate a owner through a multi-year new build phase? They love the boat. Then what? What do you do next?

YH: The next phase actually starts as the management team gets involved on the operational side about two years prior to launch. We help the owner find the right captain and crew along with many other details. And then finally at six months out, the entire crew arrives for training and familiarization.

Naturally, if we have built the boat and know every detail, every change, every system, then logical that we’re the right people to manage the yacht. That way if we have a problem, we supervised most of the systems installation alongside the shipbuilder so we can give the owner all necessary information to find efficient solutions.

BS: You do way more than just new build management, right?

YH: It's broken down into five categories: operational management, crew management, financial management, technical management and safety and security management. The client should be able to see where every cent is being spent, and it should be managed by somebody. I say this because this is our business model is similar to a family office style of operating a yacht that’s 100% transparent. All our accounting, compliance and crew systems are online so our client’s always have the information they need in real time.

I guess the real success story of Arrow how we deal with people. We value our relationships. We respect the people we work with and we strive to keep everybody happy while always getting the job done and most of all, protecting our clients every step of the way.

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Russia's war in Ukraine

By Jessie Yeung , Brad Lendon , Amy Woodyatt, Sana Noor Haq, Emma Tucker , Angela Dewan , Adrienne Vogt and Joe Ruiz , CNN

What's it like being the family of Alexey Navalny?

From CNN's Foren Clark

The family of Russian dissident Alexey Navalny has always supported his efforts to combat Russian President Vladimir Putin’s corrupt leadership. Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya , and their children, Dasha and Zakhar, have had to watch Navalny face arrests, violence, and even an attack on his own life.  

In August 2020, Navalny’s family got the call that he had taken ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and was undergoing treatment. 

“To have your dad, an opposition leader, being poisoned by we don’t know what, we don’t know how, we don’t know when, and just be in a random hospital, it was just … it was surreal, it was literally like a book,” Dasha said.  

Yulia Navalnaya quickly made her way to the hospital where Navalny was being treated and began putting public and international pressure on the Russian government to allow him to be medically evacuated to Germany. 

She described the fear she had when she first arrived at the hospital and was physically barred from seeing her husband. “I thought since he was all alone, the [Federal Security Service] and Putin would make the most of the situation and try to make sure he’s dead.” 

Her efforts to secure his release, which included sending a personal letter to Putin himself, eventually paid off – and may have saved Navalny’s life. His sudden illness was later tied to exposure to the nerve agent Novichok. 

After a long recovery in Germany, Navalny announced that he would return to Russia in January 2020. His family once again faced the possibility of losing him, this time to arrest and detainment, but they understood that Navalny’s mission was more important than their worry. 

“There was a point a year ago, where my dad was almost not there for my high school graduation. He was in jail once again and, like, the whole day I was just thinking about how [he] would’ve been proud to see me walk on the stage and get my certificate. And he wouldn’t get that option, because he was in jail for doing the right thing,” Dasha said before her father made his return to Russia. “I know that my dad misses Russia, even though it’s scary to go back. And if he didn’t go back, I would say you need to go back and fight. It’s something worth fighting for.”

Navalny was immediately arrested after his plane landed in Moscow, and he has been a prisoner ever since. In March, he was sentenced to another nine years in jail after being convicted on fraud charges, according to the Russian-owned state news agency TASS.

The director of the CNN film “Navalny," Daniel Roher, who spent time with the entire family while following Navalny’s story for the film, described how their support allows Navalny to continue with his mission. 

“It is like the entire family has this iron spine, their character is extraordinary, and I think … the foundation for his strength is the strength of his extraordinary wife Yulia and their children,” Roher said. “Everyone believes in what he’s doing, and everyone supports the sacrifice that he’s making. 

Although they have faced violence and harassment of their own, Navalny’s family continues to support his anti-corruption message, and they express their pride in his accomplishments. 

Dasha wrote on Instagram : “I am very proud of my dad, and I am glad that his incredible story of the last few years will be told.”

Tune in tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET to watch the CNN Film “Navalny” on CNN.  

Zelensky says US secretary of state and defense secretary will visit Kyiv on Sunday

From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Jonny Hallam in Atlanta

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv tomorrow.

"I don't think this is a secret that people from the US are coming to us tomorrow, State Secretary Mr. Blinken and the defense secretary (Lloyd Austin) who are coming to us," Zelensky said at a press conference held in an underground subway station in Kyiv.

Zelensky also said, "we will be expecting, when the security will allow, the President of the United States to come and to talk to us."

CNN has reached out to the US Department of Defense and Department of State for comment. The White House declined to comment on the potential trip.

US President Joe Biden said last week that he was still working with his team to determine whether he should dispatch a senior member of his administration to Ukraine.

On Sunday, many Ukrainians will observe Easter, in accordance with the Julian calendar.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Zelensky in Kyiv on April 9.

A Q&A with Navalny's right-hand woman

From CNN's Janelle Davis

CNN spoke with Maria Pevchikh, the head of the investigative department for Alexey Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation . She's also an executive producer of CNN's film "Navalny."

Here’s what she said: 

Q: What can Navalny's story tell us about Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian regime, as we watch this war that they started?

A: It's a pretty good prequel. It explains a lot, actually. This film gives a lot of context and it explains how we ended up at this point in time and where Putin is invading countries and killing people, and kind of gets away with it.

Q: You've been keeping the Anti-Corruption Foundation running since Navalny was arrested. Why is it important to keep this work going?

A: It's not only me. There are dozens of other people who work with us. 

It's a matter of principle for us just continue our work despite the fact that Alexey is in prison. This is exactly what Putin wanted to happen. Putin wanted to imprison Navalny and destroy his work – stop our investigations, stop our political work, stop everything. For us, it is a matter of principle to show Vladimir Putin and whoever is responsible for this that this is not going to work. That we're going to continue our work and we're going to work harder and more than we did before. And we intend to keep going as long as it takes. 

Q: As the head of investigations at this foundation, what have you uncovered recently? 

A: This month, we’ve done two. There was an investigation that we did about the yacht Scheherazade. It is parked somewhere in Italy, and it has no owner. I think it is the 11th or 12th most expensive yacht in the world. No one knows to whom it belongs to. In our investigation, we proved that it belongs to Vladimir Putin. 

And last week, we published an investigation about Valery Gergiev, a Russian conductor and classical musician, who is very famous and a frequent guest at places like the Metropolitan Opera and Grand Opera. He is not only a very famous musician, but a prominent supporter of Putin and Putin's war. So, we did a big investigation into how Valery Gergiev gets paid for publicly whitewashing Putin abroad. 

Q: Navalny was recently sentenced to more time in prison. What do you think the future holds for him? Will he be able to get out of this prison?

A: I think that those numbers mean nothing. He can be sentenced to nine years to 99 years to 900 years. It is virtually meaningless.

Navalny’s case is purely political. Vladimir Putin decided to throw him into jail indefinitely. So as many people say, Navalny's sentence is essentially a life sentence. The question is whose life it will be? I'm pretty sure that Navalny is going to stay in prison probably until Putin leaves the office, until Putin is removed from power. Our mission is to make sure that this day comes as quickly as possible and Alexey is out of prison as soon as possible. 

Q: We learn in this documentary what Navalny's vision is for Russia, what he imagined the future will be. Do you expect that Russia will ever come to fruition? 

A: Absolutely. That's the plan. That's what we are working on for many years. It would be strange if we did something for a decade that we didn't believe in and we didn't believe that it was possible. 

I am convinced that the so-called “beautiful Russia of the future” – this is how Alexey refers to it – it is indeed possible. It is achievable and attainable, and yes, it will take a lot of effort and a lot of work to make sure that it materializes but there are so many people, so many Russians who are willing to do this work, who are willing to risk their life, their careers, their everything, just to make sure that Russia one day becomes a free and democratic country. 

Zelensky: Ukraine will stop negotiations if Russia kills people in Mariupol and organizes "pseudo" referendums

From CNN's Radina Gigova and Adrienne Vogt

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that if Ukrainians in the besieged city of Mariupol are killed by Russian forces, and if Russia organizes "pseudo" referendums in occupied territories, Ukraine will stop negotiations with the Russian side. 

Zelensky also reiterated his willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying "I don't have a right to be afraid" as the Ukrainian people have shown they are not afraid of the Russian military. 

"As for the topic of the meeting with the president of Russia, yes, I would like to start to finalize the war. There is a diplomatic way, and there is the military way. So any healthy and sane person always chooses diplomatic way, because he or she knows even if it's hard, it may stop the losses of thousands, of tens of thousands. And with such neighbors, hundreds of thousands and maybe millions of victims," he said, via translated remarks, while holding a press conference in an underground subway station.

While Zelensky said he's "not afraid" to meet with Putin, it's difficult to trust what Russia says.

"There is no trust to Russia. Those are not synonyms, those are antonyms: Russia and trust. Because they're just saying something, and their words do not coincide with actions," he said.

Zelensky said possible future negotiations in Turkey depend on Putin, and the Ukranian president reiterated his willingness to participate in talks. 

Zelensky also said Kyiv is "in permanent contact" with Ukrainians in Mariupol but couldn't share details about the messaging. "These are our people and our town," he said. 

Zelensky said eight people, including a baby, were killed in missile strikes in the southern port city of Odesa on Saturday.

Ukraine claims strike on command post kills 2 Russian generals, according to military intelligence service

From CNN's Nathan Hodge and Kostan Nechyporenko

The Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine issued a statement Saturday claiming that a strike on a Russian command post in the southern Kherson region killed two Russia generals.

"On April 22, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck a devastating blow at a forward command post of the 49th Combined Arms Army of Russian occupation troops located a short distance from the battle line in the Kherson region," the statement said. "The result: The Field Control Point of the 49th Combined Arms Army was destroyed. Two occupier generals were eliminated, and one was seriously wounded and evacuated in critical condition."

CNN could not immediately verify that claim or that casualties may have been inflicted on that unit. Several Russian generals have been killed in Ukraine, with military observers and analysts saying that communication issues and a top-down command style have forced Russia's top officers to move forward to resolve tactical issues.

The Russian defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for​ comment. 

"I want to see the sun": Women and children in Azovstal steelworks bunker for months as Mariupol besieged

From CNN's Sarah Diab

For women and children stuck in the bunker of the Azovstal steelworks, daylight is a rarity.

"I want to get out of here and see the sun. We’ve been here for two months now and I want to see the sun," said one boy.

As the  barrage of Mariupol continues , the plant is among the last significant holdouts of Ukrainian forces in the city and is sheltering hundreds of soldiers and civilians.

"Because they switch the lights on and off here. When they rebuild our houses we can live in peace. Let Ukraine win this war because Ukraine is our dear home," he added.

Some background: Ukrainian officials have said more than 100,000 people still remain in Mariupol. The Russian government claims to control the strategic port, but Ukrainian fighters remain holding out in the city's massive Azovstal steelworks.

On Friday, Russian troops also continued to launch air strikes on Mariupol and ​restrict Ukrainian units in the area of the Azovstal plant.

The situation at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol is “close to a catastrophe," Yuriy Ryzhenkov, the CEO of the company that owns the plant, told CNN on Thursday.

“When the war started we had stocked quite a good stocks of food and water in the bomb shelters and the facilities at the plant so for some period of time the civilians, they were able to use it and basically survive on that. Unfortunately all the things, they tend to run out, especially the food and daily necessities. I think now it’s close to a catastrophe there,” Ryzhenkov, who runs Metinvest Holding, told CNN's Julia Chatterly on the " First Move " podcast.

Ryzhenkov said originally there had been enough supplies for two to three weeks but they were almost eight weeks into the blockade. He added that those still there “were not giving up.” 

Evacuation corridor "thwarted": The evacuation of civilians from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol has been "thwarted" by the Russian military, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol said on his official Telegram account Saturday. 

At 11 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET) Saturday, at least 200 residents had gathered near a shopping center in Mariupol, waiting to be evacuated to Zaporizhzhia. But "instead of the buses promised by the Russian side, the Russian military approached the Mariupol residents and ordered them to leave because 'there will be shelling now,'" Petro Andriushchenko said. 

"We don't realize how strong we actually are": How Alexey Navalny became Russia's opposition leader

From CNN's Paul LeBlanc

Russian opposition leader. Anti-corruption campaigner. Assassination attempt survivor. Prisoner.

Alexey Navalny's  crusade against the Kremlin  has brought him many labels.

And with the eyes of the world now on Russian President Vladimir Putin amid his brutal invasion of Ukraine, Navalny's message of resistance is finding new weight inside and outside of Russia, even as he remains behind bars.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing," he says,   reprising the famous quote of unknown origin, in the new CNN film  "Navalny," which premieres this Sunday, April 24, at 9 p.m. ET on CNN. "So don't be inactive."

Here's what you need to know about Navalny's political rise, attempted assassination and future in Russia:

Rise to prominence Navalny first gained visibility in 2008, when he started blogging about alleged corruption within Russian state-run companies. By 2011, he had emerged as one of the leaders of the massive protests that had broken out after allegations of fraud in parliamentary elections.

"Those who have gathered here can kick these thieved ass***** out of the Kremlin tomorrow," Navalny said at one 2011 protest.

He posted his first YouTube video, a step-by-step instruction guide showing how to build an "agitation cube," a boxlike tent structure with his image emblazoned on the side, in July 2013. The clip marked the start of the Russian dissident's campaign to be elected Moscow mayor, and the humble beginning of his YouTube revolution.

But his movement was blunted when he was convicted on embezzlement charges, just as he was preparing to run for mayor. Navalny has denied the charges and called them politically motivated. A retrial in 2017  barred him  from running for public office — this time for president against Putin.

While Navalny is most well known as an activist, it's his investigations that have been the biggest thorn in the side of some of Russia's powerful people. His videos about the apparent unexplained wealth of top government officials have particularly raised the ire of the Kremlin.

One video about former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev drew more than 35 million views on YouTube.

But with increased results came increased risks. In March 2017, that video lit a spark under the biggest anti-government protests Russia had seen in years. Thousands joined rallies in almost 100 cities across Russia. Navalny himself was arrested and jailed for 15 days.

The following month, he was splashed with an antiseptic green dye, damaging his vision in one eye.

"Listen, I've got something very obvious to tell you. You're not allowed to give up. If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong," Navalny said to his supporters in the CNN film.

"We need to utilize this power, to not give up, to remember we are a huge power that is being oppressed by these bad dudes. We don't realize how strong we actually are," he continued.

Poisoning and recovery By 2020, there were signs that the ground was shifting beneath Navalny's opposition movement.

The Kremlin had taken on a more publicly confrontational posture toward its chief critic, culminating in accusations of a poisoning attempt in August of that year.

Navalny had started feeling unwell on a return flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk. Loud groaning can be heard in video footage apparently recorded on the flight he took. More video apparently recorded through the airplane window showed an immobile man being taken by wheeled stretcher to a waiting ambulance.

Navalny was treated at a Berlin hospital, and the German government later concluded he had been poisoned with a  chemical nerve agent  from the Novichok group.

A joint investigation by CNN and the group Bellingcat implicated the Russian Security Service (FSB) in Navalny's poisoning, piecing together how an elite unit at the agency had followed Navalny's team throughout a trip to Siberia, when Navalny fell ill from exposure to Novichok.

The investigation also found that this unit, which included chemical weapons experts, had followed Navalny on more than 30 trips to and from Moscow since 2017. Russia denies involvement in Navalny's poisoning. Putin himself said in December that if Russian security services had wanted to kill Navalny, they "would have finished" the job.

Nevertheless, several Western officials and Navalny himself have openly blamed the Kremlin.

"It's impossible to believe it. It's kind of stupid that the whole idea of poisoning with a chemical weapon, what the f**k?" Navalny says in the new CNN film. "This is why this is so smart, because even reasonable people they refuse to believe like, what? Come on ... poisoned? Seriously?"

News that Navalny had fallen gravely ill sent a fresh shock wave through Russian society, raising  worrying parallels  with some of the more brazen political killings in Russia's recent past.

Western governments, independent researchers and Russia watchers have noted a consistent pattern of Russian state involvement in assassinations both inside Russia and abroad.

Click here to read the full story.

Tune in tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET to watch the CNN Film “Navalny” on CNN.

Mariupol evacuation "thwarted" by Russian military, Ukrainian city official says

From CNN's Nathan Hodge in Lviv and Radina Gigova in London 

The evacuation of civilians from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol has been "thwarted" by the Russian military, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol said on his official Telegram account Saturday. 

The Russian military brought buses to another location about 200 meters away from the agreed evacuation point, and when residents had already been loaded on the buses, they were told they'll be evacuated to the city of Dokuchaevsk, "i.e. in the occupied territories," Andriushchenko said. 

"People were not given the right to leave the bus. When asked why, the answer was 'nationalists fired on the evacuation point.' That is another lie," Andriushchenko said. 

"Yes, once again, the Russians disrupted the evacuation. Brazenly using the efforts of Mariupol residents to return home and the honesty of the Ukrainian army in a ceasefire to organize their own plans," he added. 

The Ukrainian parliament also tweeted that the evacuation was "disrupted."

"About 200 Mariupol residents were going to leave, but when they arrived at the assembly point, the [Russian] military told them to disperse because 'there will be shelling now'," according to the parliament's official account. 

At least 5 reported killed in missile strikes on southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, according to official

From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva and Nathan Hodge in Lviv

Five civilians died and 18 were wounded in Russian missile strikes on the southern port city of Odesa, according to a senior Ukrainian official, as another official denounced them as "Easter gifts from Putin."


"Five Ukrainian citizens were killed and 18 wounded," Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in a statement. "These are only those who were found. And most likely, there will be more."

Yermak said one of the dead was a 3-month-old baby, adding: "A child who had to celebrate his first Easter with his parents. Nothing is sacred. Absolutely. Evil will be punished."

Many Ukrainians celebrate Easter according to the Julian calendar, with Easter Sunday falling this year on April 24.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, said Russian forces launched at least six cruise missiles at Odesa.

"City residents heard the blasts in different districts of the city. These were the rockets strikes as well as the work of our air-defense system," he said.

Gerashchenko added that at least one missile had landed and exploded, residential buildings were hit and one person was burned inside their car in the yard of one of the buildings.

In a statement on Telegram, Odesa City Council Deputy Petro Obukhov called the missile strikes "Easter gifts from Putin." 

​Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba condemned the strikes, saying, "The only aim of Russian missile strikes on Odesa is terror. Russia must be designated a state sponsor of terrorism and treated accordingly. No business, no contacts, no cultural projects. We need a wall between civilization and barbarians striking peaceful cities with missiles."

Ukrainian officials have warned of potential Russian attacks during Easter holiday observances in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently claimed Russian forces have "liberated" the Azov Sea port of Mariupol, although Ukrainian defenders are holding out in a massive steel works in the city. 

Ukraine's Air Command South said in a separate statement that missiles also struck a military facility and were launched by Russian bombers:

"Today ... the air defense group of the South Air Command conducted combat operations to destroy enemy cruise missiles launched by Russia's TU-95 strategic aircraft from the Caspian Sea," the statement said. "During the engagement, warriors of anti-aircraft missile units destroyed two enemy cruise missiles (preliminary X555 or X101), which struck the city of Odesa and two operational-tactical level UAVs, which presumably corrected the trajectory of cruise missiles and placed active obstacles to the air-defense system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

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