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Antigua confirms that Roman Abramovich owns two yachts moored on island

The caribbean island had asked the uk for help in identifying ships' owners.

The two vessels are docked in Antigua’s Falmouth Harbour. Getty Images

Two yachts worth almost $60 million moored on the Caribbean island of Antigua have been revealed to belong to Roman Abramovich.

Sanctions-hit oligarchs have been moving their superyachts around the globe in an attempt to avoid the reach of the West.

The two vessels, docked in Antigua’s Falmouth Harbour, are registered with a British Virgin Island company, Wenham Overseas Limited, which the Financial Times revealed had links to Mr Abramovich , who has recently been sanctioned by the UK.

It led island authorities to ask for the British government's help in identifying if he was the true owner.

The yachts involved are Halo , worth $38m, and Garcon , worth $20m.

Antigua’s minister of foreign affairs Paul Chet Greene wrote to the British High Commissioner to Barbados to verify the yachts' ownership in light of the allegations.

In response, the British High Commission said the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands "states the beneficial owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich”, the paper reported.

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

The letter said that Antigua “will provide full assistance to the Government of the United Kingdom” if it receives a request.

Mr Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club, has been placed under sanctions by the UK and the EU, for his allegedly close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

World governments are seeking to isolate Mr Putin and his allies over the invasion of Ukraine .

Last month Antigua announced it would enforce all US, EU and UK sanctions on Russian entities and individuals.

The UK government has designated more than 1,200 individuals and organisations close to Mr Putin – including 76 oligarchs and 16 banks with a global net worth of £150 billion ($197.04bn) and £500bn respectively.

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Net closes in on Roman Abramovich’s Bermuda-registered yachts in Antigua

Two Bermuda-registered superyachts owned by the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich could be seized after they put into port in the Caribbean.

The 67-metre Garçon and the 55-metre Halo , flying the Bermuda flag, docked in Falmouth Harbour in Antigua, which said it was prepared to co-operate with Britain, the EU and the United States, which have imposed sanctions on Russian oligarchs after Russia launched an invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the US, said: “Antigua and Barbuda has been at the forefront of objections to the invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s violation of international law.”

But he added the US had been unable to establish beyond doubt the ownership of the boats because of the “veil of secrecy” around BVI companies.

Sir Ronald said: “We have no sanctions laws here — we can’t seize property unless someone has committed a crime in Antigua, which they have not.

“However, we would wish to co-operate with the jurisdiction imposing the sanctions.

“The British would have to make a mutual legal assistance treaty request to Antigua for us to do anything.”

Sir Ronald explained that once a request was made, the case could be taken to court for a possible seizure of the boats.

He was speaking to the Antigua Observer, which said that the British Financial Times had identified the yachts as linked to Mr Abramovich.

The two yachts were said to be owned by British Virgin Islands-based Wenham Overseas and that Abramovich, 55, was the beneficial owner.

But firms based in BVI, like Bermuda, a UK Overseas Territory where John Rankin, a former governor of Bermuda, is the Governor, are not required to reveal the beneficial owners.

But E P Chet Greene, the Antigua and Barbuda foreign affairs minister, has written to Scott Furssedonn-Wood, the British High Commissioner to Barbados, who also has responsibility for several other Caribbean countries, to ask for assistance in firm identification of the boats’ owner and to promise “full assistance”.

Britain, the EU and the US have drawn up sanctions lists of the Russian super-rich and companies linked to them said to be close to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who ordered the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea FC in London, and other Russian oligarchs have been hit with asset freezes, travel bans and other restrictions.

Several megayachts, along with private aircraft and mansions, have been seized by authorities around the world.

Antigua and Barbuda joined the chorus of condemnation of the illegal Russian action in Ukraine and promised to take action against Russian interests.

Sir Ronald said: “We gave the lists to all our agencies, banks, Coast Guard, shipping companies, everyone who does business, saying these are people Antigua and Barbuda would prefer not to do business with.”

The country has warned that anyone caught doing business with people or companies on the sanctions list, even if by accident, risked sanctions themselves.

The Antigua Observe r said that the country’s banks had decided not to do any business with Russia or Belarus, which has supported the Russian invasion, even if the people or firms were not on any sanctions list.

Sir Ronald explained: “Going through every single person on the lists is expensive and the risk was not worth the reward.”

Lindsy Thompson, the resident British Commissioner in the two-island country, said: “It’s incredibly important for all nations, regardless of the size of their population, to put pressure on Russia.

“The horrific invasion and atrocities being committed by Russia have a profound effect on the whole world, whether it’s the cost of fuel, the cost of living, but also on each nation’s right to self-determination and this is a huge affront to that.”

Ms Thompson added: “Anything any country can do which allows the people of Ukraine to live in peace is the right thing to do.“

The Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority revealed two weeks ago that ten vessels on the island’s registry belonged to companies set up in other overseas territories that were “widely known to be associated with high-profile Russian nationals”.

The BSMA said there was nothing in Bermuda’s maritime legislation to allow for sanctions.

But the authority was said to be in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Financial Sanctions Implementation Unit to decide the next steps.

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Authorities say sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owns 2 yachts moored in the Caribbean, including one that carries helicopters

• Antigua authorities say Roman Abramovich owns two yachts moored there, The Financial Times reported.
• Two other yachts owned by Abramovich docked in Turkey after he was sanctioned.
• An Antigua official said the country would assist the UK, which has sanctioned Abramovich.

Authorities in Antigua say sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owns two yachts that are moored there.

The Financial Times first reported the news.

Two other yachts owned by Abramovich, thought to be worth a combined $1.3 billion, docked in Turkey late March, avoiding sanctions risks at EU harbors.

Related stories

The two boats are docked in Antigua's Falmouth Harbor are owned by Wenham Overseas Ltd, a company based in the British Virgin Islands, The Financial Times reported.

Paul Chet Greene, Antigua's minister of foreign affairs, said in a letter that the British High Commission had given Antiguan authorities a letter from the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands "which states the beneficial owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich."

In Greene's letter, which was sent to the British High Commissioner to Barbados and viewed by The Financial Times, he said that Antigua would provide "full assistance" to the UK government under a mutual legal assistance treaty between the two nations.

Antigua previously said it would enforce US, EU, and UK sanctions against Russia, The Financial Times reported.

Abramovich, who owns Chelsea Football Club and whom Bloomberg estimates is worth about $14.4 billion , is believed to have close ties to the Kremlin . His name was included among those  sanctioned by the UK on March 10 and the EU on March 15 as part of Western measures to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to call off the invasion of Ukraine.

Abramovich has previously been linked to properties in New York, France, and London , each worth millions of dollars. As well as the two boats in Antigua, he also has at least two superyachts, multiple private jets, a helicopter, and a number of luxury cars.

One of his two vessels moored in Antigua is Halo, according to the publication. The 180-foot vessel was built by Dutch yachtmaker Amels for Australian billionaire James Packer. He listed it for sale for around $46 million a few months after it was delivered in 2018. Amels said the vessel can fit 12 guests, 12 crew, and a captain.

The other boat is Garçon, a 182-foot support vessel, which its makers Damen Yachting said was built to support the 285-foot superyacht Ace. It has a landing pad for a helicopter and can fit other smaller vessels onboard.

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Sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s fleet of superyachts was revealed Friday to be more extensive than previously known following the discovery of two more luxury vessels in Antigua – both of which now face seizure.

British authorities have determined that Abramovich is the owner of the yachts Halo and Garçon, which have been the subject of persistent scrutiny while docked in Antigua as Western nations crackdown on the wealth of rich Russians during the Ukraine invasion.

Halo is valued at approximately $38 million, while Garçon is worth about $20 million, according to data from yacht valuation firm VesselsValue.

Abramovich’s ownership of the two additional superyachts came to light following an extensive investigation by the Financial Times .

A top Antiguan official said the island sought information on Wenham Overseas Limited, an Abramovich-linked and British Virgin Islands-based firm listed as the owner of Halo and Garçon. The firm is on the UK sanctions list.

In a letter to Antigua’s government, British officials said an investigation had determined that the “beneficial owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich.”

Ronald Sanders, Antigua’s ambassador to the United States, said the country is willing to detain and seize both vessels if it receives a formal request from the UK government.

“The only way we can (seize the vessels) is if the British in their mutual legal assistance treaty request establish that this is a person they want because he has committed some crime,” Sanders told Reuters.

Abramovich was already known to be the owner of the $600 million Solaris and the $700 million Eclipse, each of which fled to sea last month after the United Kingdom sanctioned the oligarch. Both yachts were last known to be docked in Turkey .

The Russian billionaire may also still own a fifth yacht, the $11 million Sussurro, that he first purchased in 1998, according to the FT. While Abramovich reportedly gave the yacht to his ex-wife following their divorce, the outlet said a source with knowledge of his fleet and other documents showed the oligarch was still linked to the vessel through another firm.

Abramovich and other oligarchs have scrambled to protect the trappings of their wealth during the increasingly harsh crackdown. The UK sanctions froze Abramovich’s assets and forced him to sell his ownership stake in the Premier League soccer club Chelsea.

Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that Abramovich may have been poisoned alongside Ukrainian officials last month while attending peace talks aimed at ending the invasion – a sign that the oligarch’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has frayed.

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Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich’s Two Superyachts Are Sailing Towards Each Other in the Mediterranean

Ship tracking platforms show that the billionaire’s yachts "eclipse" and "solaris" are relocating to the mediterranean, with no port destination specified., emma reynolds, emma reynolds's most recent stories.

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Russian oligarch and billionaire Roman Abramovich is on the move—and so are his superyachts.

After being slapped with sanctions in response to Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine, the billionaire was last seen on March 14 at an airport in Israel, where he has dual citizenship, according to Reuters .

Abramovich, who is currently worth an estimated $7.1 billion, according to Forbes , appears to be moving his yachts to safer waters. His 533-foot superyacht Eclipse , normally anchored year-round in the Caribbean, has been sailing east towards the Mediterranean since February 21, according to global ship tracking platform MarineTraffic. As of Wednesday, the ship is located off the coast of Algeria and is still sailing east with no port destination specified. The yacht, estimated to be worth over $600 million, is one of the largest and most expensive in the world , and seems to be cruising towards Abramovich’s other yacht, Solaris , in the Ionian Sea.

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Roman Abramovich’s “Solaris” superyacht.  Courtesy of Lloyd Werft

The 461-foot Solaris  is currently located in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece and heading south. Solaris was most recently at a port in Barcelona, where it had reportedly been receiving repairs since late 2021 . The ship left without declaring a destination. However, it’s possible both Solaris and Eclipse are heading towards each other and are even eyeing ports in Israel where Abramovich is considered safe from sanctions.

Though a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Abramovich has denied having close ties to the Kremlin. This hasn’t stopped dozens of nations, including the US, UK and several EU countries, from implementing sanctions and asset freezes on the oligarch. The sanctions are part of a concerted multinational effort to pressure Russia’s wealthiest and most powerful individuals to help bring Russia’s war on Ukraine to an end.

Perhaps sensing the economic pressures to come, Abramovich made headlines just days after the Ukraine invasion for stating his intention to sell his beloved Chelsea Football Club in London for $2.5 billion. The billionaire said all proceeds would benefit Ukrainian refugees and “victims of the war,” which, notably, may also include Russian soldiers.

Russian oligarch and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich appears to be seeking cover from international sanctions in Israel, where he has dual citizenship.  Associated Press

Russians own up to 10 percent of the world’s megayachts, so Abramovich is just one of many Russian billionaires who are moving their assets to avoid seizure by international authorities. This week, Italian police seized Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko’s 486-foot Sailing Yacht A, and earlier this month, France impounded the yacht Amore Vero , owned by Russian oil billionaire Igor Sechin. Other Russian billionaires have had their yachts impounded in other EU countries.

This isn’t the first time Russian oligarchs’ whereabouts have been made public. Florida teen Jack Sweeney, who once tracked Elon Musk’s jet, created a Twitter account —@RUOligarchJets—dedicated to tracking the private jets of Russian oligarchs, which is updated daily.

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Roman Abramovich’s superyacht leaves Turkish port run by UK-listed firm

Russian oligarch’s vessel departed after Global Ports Holding was pressed to act over UK sanctions

Roman Abramovich’s $600m (£458m) superyacht Solaris has left a port in Turkey after the London-based company that operates the terminal which had been harbouring the oligarch’s yacht was pressed to act.

Solaris, which is 140 metres long and has a helipad and swimming pool, left Bodrum Cruise Port on Monday. It is now at anchor off Yalikavak beach in south-western Turkey, according to the shipping data service Marine Traffic .

Pressure had been building for Global Ports Holding (GPH), the Mayfair-headquartered company that runs Bodrum Cruise Port, to refuse services to Solaris.

Legal experts had said the London-listed company was taking “a very big risk” by allowing a superyacht owned by a sanctioned individual to use one of its ports. The Bodrum port is one of 22 terminals run by the firm.

Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club, is one of several Russian billionaires hit by UK sanctions last month as part of the government’s efforts to put pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine. Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, described the sanctioned individuals as having “the blood of the Ukrainian people on their hands”.

A spokesperson for Global Ports Holding declined to comment on why Solaris had left the port.

In a statement on Sunday, the company said it did not have “any power to accept or reject any ship or yacht” from the port but it had taken the decision to “not receive any service fee or other payments concerning the berthing of this superyacht”.

“Global Ports Holding plc notes recent press speculation regarding the berthing at Bodrum Yolcu Liman İşletmeleri AŞ (Bodrum Cruise Port), Turkey, of a superyacht, allegedly owned by a designated person subject to sanctions imposed by the UK government,” GPH said .

“As a private terminal operator in Turkey , GPH merely operates Bodrum Cruise Port as the concessionaire and is not involved in granting permission for a ship or a yacht to dock at the port. This responsibility and decision sit with the Turkish authorities, and as concessionaire, GPH must comply with such a decision as long as the decision is legal under the applicable laws.

“However, and notwithstanding the difficulties of any party to correctly identify the actual ownership of such assets, GPH has not and will not receive any service fee or other payments concerning the berthing of this superyacht at Bodrum Cruise Port.”

The company said the berthing of Solaris did not breach UK sanction laws because “the alleged offence has taken place at a port outside the United Kingdom where GPH does not have any ownership or any power to accept or reject any ship or yacht pursuant to the applicable laws”.

Solaris arrived at Bodrum Cruise Port on 22 March after hurriedly leaving a port in Barcelona , where it was undergoing repairs, as EU countries began seizing sanctioned individuals’ assets.

Ukrainian protesters tried to stop Solaris mooring at the port. Members of the Optimist Sailing Team Ukraine confronted the vessel in a small boat, chanting “No war in Ukraine” and waving the country’s flag. They were part of a junior sailing team that was in Turkey to compete in an annual competition, having left Ukraine before the invasion.

Turkey has refused to impose sanctions on Russians, despite the UK, US and EU uniting to restrict oligarchs believed to have benefited from close relationships with Putin. The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said the oligarchs were “of course” welcome and could do business in Turkey according to international law.

Another, even larger, superyacht owned by Abramovich is moored in Turkey. Eclipse, which at 162.5 metres is believed to be the world’s second largest superyacht, arrived at the port of Marmaris on 22 March.

Reports suggest that Abramovich owns as many as five superyachts worth more than $1bn (£762m) in total. Another yacht linked to the billionaire, Garcon, is now berthed in Antigua.

The Antiguan government has asked for the UK’s assistance to seize the vessel. Ronald Sanders, the country’s ambassador to the US, told Reuters: “We’ve said that we’re quite happy to cooperate, but under the rule of law. The only way we can [seize the vessel] is if the British, in their mutual legal assistance treaty request, establish that this is a person they want because he has committed some crime.”

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Roman Abramovich’s $1bn five-yacht fleet revealed

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Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owns or is linked to a collection of five yachts estimated to be worth almost $1bn, including several vessels whose ownership remained secret until this week.

A Financial Times investigation into the billionaire’s assets has lifted the veil of secrecy he maintains over his wealth, even after the UK and EU imposed sanctions on him following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for his allegedly close relationship with President Vladimir Putin.

Authorities in the UK and EU are attempting to identify all of the assets owned by sanctioned oligarchs. Abramovich was already widely reported to be the owner of Solaris and Eclipse — worth $474mn and $437mn, respectively, according to yacht data service VesselsValue. But the FT revealed this week that he also owns Halo and Garçon, which are both moored in Antigua.

The Antiguan government was unaware of the ownership of the boats docked on the island before inquiries from the FT, highlighting the scale of the challenge UK and EU authorities face in enforcing sanctions.

Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank said governments, banks and other institutions trying to enforce sanctions had to navigate a world where “ownership trails run cold and morph into a haze of front companies, nominees and cut-outs”.

Halo and Garçon are valued at $38mn and $20mn, respectively, and are now at risk of being seized.

In a letter to the British high commissioner to Barbados regarding the yachts, Antiguan minister of foreign affairs Paul Chet Greene said the island would “provide full assistance to the government of the United Kingdom” if it receives a request under the two nations’ Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

The letter noted that Antigua had requested information on the company that owns the two boats — British Virgin Islands-registered Wenham Overseas Limited — after “persistent allegations by the Financial Times that the vessels could be owned by Mr Roman Abramovich”.

In response, the British high commission provided Antiguan authorities with a letter, seen by the FT, “from the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands which states the beneficial owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich”.

The letter also shows the billionaire’s address in Switzerland is listed simply as “Immeuble, Gatzby Le Magnifique”, which translates as “The Great Gatsby Building”.

Keatinge described the UK’s ability to demand full ownership information of companies registered in any of its overseas territories or crown dependencies as its “most powerful global weapon” in combating financial secrecy.

However, he asked: “How much is that weapon being used?”

A person with knowledge of Abramovich’s boat collection and documents seen by the FT indicate that the oligarch may also still be the owner of Sussurro, the first yacht he bought in 1998, despite reports he had given it to an ex-wife in a divorce.

The person who correctly identified the two yachts in Antigua as belonging to Abramovich told the FT the oligarch still owned Sussurro.

The vessel’s owner is listed in maritime registers as Vesuvius International Limited in the British Virgin Islands. BVI documents show this company was deregistered there in 2017. Another Vesuvius International was registered in Jersey the same year.

The owner of Jersey-based Vesuvius International is listed as Wotton Overseas Holdings Limited. This entity — which shifted from the BVI to Jersey in 2017 — is also the owner through a subsidiary of a helicopter that has been photographed landing on Abramovich’s Solaris several times.

Maritime tracking services show Sussurro, which means “whisper” in Italian and is valued at $11mn, is moored in La Ciotat in the south of France — the same port where the French government last month seized a $116mn superyacht belonging to a company tied to Igor Sechin, head of Russian oil group Rosneft.

Sussurro’s management company is Blue Ocean Management, a Cyprus-based company that also manages Le Grand Bleu, a 113-metre superyacht that Abramovich reportedly gave to his business associate Eugene Shvidler.

The UK placed Shvidler under sanctions last week.

The letter from the BVI’s financial investigation agency to its British counterparts also reveals that the owner of Le Grand Blue — Ashchurch Holdings Limited — is owned by “Zarui Shvidler”. Shvidler’s wife is commonly known as Zara Shvidler.

VesselsValue pegged Le Grand Bleu’s market value in a range of $110mn-$130mn, noting that the boat had last been tracked this week in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Puerto Rico.

Representatives for Abramovich and Shvidler did not respond to requests for comment.

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