russian yacht trieste

Watch Police Seize $578 Million Superyacht Linked To Russian Billionaire

MILAN — Italian financial police has seized a Russian-owned superyacht valued at $578 million in the port of Trieste as part of seizures of oligarch wealth to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the war on Ukraine.

The “Sy A” yacht was identified by Italian police as belonging to billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, who made a fortune in fertilizer production and coal energy. It was seized Friday evening.

Italy’s financial police ( @GDF ) has just frozen “SY A” - a sailing yacht worth ~€530m located in the Port of Trieste. The yacht could be linked indirectly to Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko - an individual in the EU sanctions list. pic.twitter.com/fRg6ZTIQRH — Ferdinando Giugliano (@FerdiGiugliano) March 12, 2022

Video shows police in cars with flashing lights approaching the triple-mast yacht and officers boarding it.

Italian authorities last week seized some 143 million euros ($156 million) in luxury yachts and villas belonging to Russian billionaires in such picturesque retreats as Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como.

Sanzioni contro la Russia: A Trieste, nel rimessaggio del porto, è stato sequestrato dalla Guardia di Finanza lo yacht a vela più grande del mondo, del valore di 530 milioni di euro. Lo "SY A" è riconducibile all'imprenditore russo Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko. pic.twitter.com/xj0V728Qsa — Tg La7 (@TgLa7) March 11, 2022

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Ukraine war: £443m superyacht owned by oligarch Andrey Melnichenko seized in Italy as part of sanctions

The vessel, the biggest sailing yacht in the world, is owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, who made a fortune in fertiliser production and coal.

News reporter

Sunday 13 March 2022 01:14, UK

A Russian-owned superyacht valued at £443m has been confiscated by Italian police in the port of Trieste as part of a global crackdown on wealthy oligarchs.

The Sy A yacht is owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, 50, who made a fortune in fertiliser production and coal.

The vessel was seized on Friday evening.

Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht at 143m in length.

Read more: Russia says Western arms shipments now 'legitimate military targets' - follow latest updates on Ukraine war

Footage shows police cars approaching the triple-masted yacht and officers boarding it.

Italian authorities last week seized £120m in luxury yachts and villas belonging to Russian billionaires in picturesque retreats such as Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como as part of sanctions against oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin.

A statement from the Official Journal of the European Union described Melnichenko as belonging to the "most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian Government".

It added: "On 24 February 2022, in the aftermath of the initial stages of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, along with other 36 businesspeople, met with President Vladimir Putin and other members of the Russian government to discuss the impact of the course of action in the wake of Western sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine."

A spokesperson for Melnichenko said the businessman had "no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine and has no political affiliations".

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list.

"We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail."

A number of oligarchs have sought to move their superyachts to safe locations to avoid confiscation.

Roman Abramovich's superyacht Solaris has been spotted in the small Adriatic Sea state of Montenegro.

The 533ft Solaris was seen on Saturday outside the Porto Montenegro marina in the coastal town of Tivat after arriving from Barcelona.

There was no immediate comment from the Montenegrin authorities on the arrival of the £460m vessel.

The NATO country has joined Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

It comes after Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government .

The Chelsea Football Club owner is one of seven more Russian oligarchs who have had sanctions placed on them by ministers in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A government document announcing the move said that Abramovich has had a "close relationship for decades" with Putin.

The UK is the first nation to sanction Abramovich, who has been described by the government as a "pro-Kremlin oligarch".

The government has now sanctioned more than 200 individuals and entities.

Related Topics

2 years after being seized, the Russian oligarch’s $580 million megayacht which is even bigger than Jeff Bezos’ Koru left Trieste and sailed for Venice. Just so that it would not escape on the high seas the 469 feet long vessel was guarded by armed ships of the Italian forces.

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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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Italy seizes Russian billionaire Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A

The vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht.

FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 11

Here are your FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 11.

Italian police have seized a superyacht owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, the prime minister's office said on Saturday, a few days after the businessman was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The 143-metre (470-foot) Sailing Yacht A, which has a price tag of 530 million euros ($578 million), has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, the government said.

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Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht, the government said.

Melnichenko owned major fertiliser producer EuroChem Group and coal company SUEK. The companies said in statements on Thursday that he had resigned as a member of the board in both companies and withdrawn as their beneficiary, effective Wednesday.

The luxury yacht " Sailing Yacht A " with her unique form, which was built for Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, sails past Italian Isola del Giglio island on July 10, 2018, near the "Scole" rocks where the Costa Concordia cruise ship crashed l ((Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

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

RUSSIAN OLIGARCH YACHTS, LUXURY COASTAL PROPERTIES SEIZED BY ITALY: PHOTOS

"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.

Since last week Italian police have seized villas and yachts worth more than 700 million euros ($763.63 million) from high-profile Russians who have been placed on the EU sanctions list, Economy Minister Daniele Franco said on Saturday.

This photograph taken on March 10, 2022, shows a sailing yacht A owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko in Trieste, Italy. - The sailing yacht A is the largest private sail-assisted motor yacht in the world. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP) (Photo ( (Photo by JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

"So far we have hit what was visible, now we have to hit the rest such as shareholdings. We are doing a great job to bring out what is shielded by trusts and front names," Giuseppe Zafarana, head of the Italian tax police, told journalists in Bergamo on Saturday.

The police operations were part of a coordinated drive by Western states to penalise wealthy Russians they say are linked to President Vladimir Putin.

RUSSIAN OLIGARCH ALISHER USMANOV’S $600M YACHT SEIZED IN GERMANY: REPORTS

Separately, a superyacht reported to be owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich arrived in Montenegro's territorial waters on Saturday morning, according to a Reuters photographer.

A Finance Police officer boards the superyacht from Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko which has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, Italy, March 12, 2022, in this screen grab taken from video, Finance Police/Handout via R (Finance Police/Handout via REUTERS / Reuters Photos)

The Solaris is one of a string of yachts owned by Chelsea Football Club owner Abramovich, according to reports in luxury goods publications SuperYachtFan, SuperYacht Times and Forbes.

The 140-metre (460-foot) vessel is moored off the luxury resort Porto Montenegro in the town of Tivat. The boat left Barcelona on Tuesday.

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Britain imposed sanctions on Abramovich on Thursday, freezing his assets and citing what it called his close relationship with Putin. Abramovich has denied having such ties.

($1 = 0.9167 euros)

(Reporting by Emilio Parodi in Bergamo and Stevo Vasiljevic in TivatWriting by Giselda VagnoniEditing by Frances Kerry)

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Every Russian Oligarch Yacht Seized So Far—In Pictures

Before the invasion of Ukraine, the world was a playground for the Russian mega-rich.

Now, Russian oligarchs are struggling to hold on to their wealth, as their private jets and superyachts get seized and their properties impounded as a result of the heavy sanctions much of the world has imposed on the circle of billionaires around Vladimir Putin .

Since the European Union started imposing sanctions on an increasing number of Russian oligarchs, the list of luxury superyachts owned by Russian billionaires seized by authorities has steadily kept on growing.

Here's a breakdown.

On March 2, French authorities seized a yacht they said belonged to Rosneft's boss Igor Sechin in the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat.

The owner of Amore Vero wasn't formally Sechin, but French authorities said they found him to be the main shareholder.

On the same day, news spread that German authorities had seized a luxury yacht owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. But German officials denied that the Dilbar , a $600 million yacht named after the billionaire's mother, had been seized in Hamburg.

The yacht, over 490 feet long and boasting an 80-foot swimming pool, two helipads and a garden, is now simply blocked in the northern port and is not allowed to leave.

Usmanov is one of the richest men in Russia and the world, with an estimated worth of $14.2 billion. The European Union has frozen his assets and described him as "pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin."

On March 14 in Barcelona, Spanish police seized a $140 million yacht belonging to Sergei Chemezov, a former KGB officer who now heads the state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec. Following the seizure, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised "there will be more."

The Valerie , a 280-foot yacht, is technically registered to Chemezov's stepdaughter Anastasia Ignatova. She is under U.S. sanctions, as is Chemezov and his wife.

The next day, Spanish authorities seized Lady Anastasia , reportedly owned by Alexander Mikheyev, in Mallorca. Mikheyev, director of Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport, is under EU sanctions.

A day later, Spain seized another yacht believed to belong to Sechin, the 440-foot-long Crescent , in the port of Tarragona in Catalonia.

Since the beginning of March, Italy has seized three yachts belonging to Russian oligarchs.

Lady M , owned by steel magnate Alexey Mordashov, Russia's richest man, was seized in the port of Imperia on the same day as Lena , belonging to oil and gas mogul Gennady Timchenko, was seized in the port of Sanremo.

Lady M , formally registered in the Cayman Islands, has been docked in Imperia since January. The yacht is equipped with a beauty salon and a helicopter pad.

Lena , registered in the British Virgin Islands, has been in Sanremo since November 2021.

On March 12, Italian authorities seized Andrey Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A , a $580 million yacht docked at the port of Trieste. Coal and fertilizer magnate Melnichenko was sanctioned by the EU on March 9.

The Ragnar , another superyacht owned by Russian oligarch and former KGB agent Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, wasn't confiscated, but it's stuck in Norway because nobody will sell it fuel to leave.

According to Croatian media reports, Viktor Medvedchuk's 300-foot mega yacht, The Royal Romance, was seized in the bay of Rijeka on Wednesday. Medvedchuk is leader of Ukraine's main pro-Russia party.

More yachts owned by Russian oligarchs and currently docked around Europe could yet be seized, as not all billionaires have been sanctioned by the EU and the ownership of some yachts is yet to be determined.

Those Russian oligarchs whose yachts haven't been seized are scrambling to take them far away from the grasp of European authorities, although they're running out of safe havens to hide their luxury vessels.

At least five Russian billionaires have moved their yachts to the Maldives as the EU imposed sanctions, ship-tracking data has shown. In early March, five superyachts were reportedly harbored in the Maldives, which doesn't have an extradition treaty with the U.S.

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Ukraine: Italy seizes world's biggest sailing yacht from Russian oligarch

Melnichencko yacht seized in trieste port..

Italy’s financial police ( @GDF ) has just frozen “SY A” - a sailing yacht worth ~€530m located in the Port of Trieste. The yacht could be linked indirectly to Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko - an individual in the EU sanctions list. pic.twitter.com/fRg6ZTIQRH — Ferdinando Giugliano (@FerdiGiugliano) March 12, 2022

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Oh ship! All the superyachts seized from Russian oligarchs so far

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Around the world, superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs are being seized and impounded thanks to ongoing sanctions from Canada, the U.S. and the European Union in response to Russia ‘s invasion of Ukraine .

Government authorities have said they will continue to target Russia’s super-rich, who have gained vast wealth and political power by allying with Russian President Vladimir Putin .

Superyachts are often valued in the hundreds of millions and annual upkeep of the mega boats can reach up to $50 million a year.

Dennis Causier, a superyacht analyst, told The Associated Press the kinds of yachts owned by oligarchs often have comically intense security measures in place, including “underwater escape hatches, bulletproof windows and armored panic rooms.”

“It’s about ego,” Causier said. “They all want to have the best, the longest, the most valuable, the newest, the most luxurious.”

So far, Spain, Italy, France and Germany have been leading the charge in seizing superyachts, impounding a combined nine Russian-owned boats.

Some yachts have already slipped through the West’s fingers.

A superyacht called Graceful, which is believed to belong to Putin, left a port in Hamburg two weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is now moored in Russian waters in the Baltic, out of reach of the West’s sanctions.

But some Russian oligarchs seemed to have missed the memo to get their superyachts out of EU waters. Here’s a list of all the superyachts owned by Russia’s elite that have been seized or frozen so far.

The Lady M, a 213-foot superyacht owned by Alexei Mordashov, was seized by the Italian government on March 4 . Mordashov is a Russian steel baron and is listed as Russia’s wealthiest man with a net worth of around $30 billion.

The vessel is only valued at $27 million, relatively cheap compared with the other boats on this list. That’s because Mordashov has an even bigger superyacht, the $500-million, 464-foot Nord, which is docked in the Seychelles.

According to Forbes , the Lady M has six guest cabins with space for 12 people, a current pool, a helipad, and a beauty salon onboard, and requires 14 crew members to sail. NBC News reports that the Nord has two helipads, a waterfall and enough space to house 36 guests.

A day after the Lady M seizure, Italian authorities also impounded the 132-foot Lena, owned by Gennady Timchenko, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin. Timchenko is an oil and gas mogul who founded Volga Group, an investment firm that specializes in energy, transport, and infrastructure assets. Timchenko’s business dealings have helped him amass a fortune of $16.2 billion.

Valued at $8 million, Lena is the least valuable Russian superyacht seized so far. Forbes reports that the yacht has five guest cabins and can accommodate 10 people.

The Sy A, an abbreviation of Sailing Yacht A, was seized in the port of Trieste, Italy on the same day as the Lady M. Sy A is a $590-million superyacht owned by Andrey Melnichenko, the billionaire owner of EuroChem Group, a fertilizer manufacturer, and SUEK, a coal company.

According to The Guardian, Sy A is 470-foot-long and its mainmast reaches 330 feet into the air. Boating International says the Sy A has eight decks connected by various elevators and free-floating spiral staircases. It houses garages for four tenders (out-boats) and a submarine. It also has a helipad on the bow.

It is the largest superyacht on this list.

Spanish authorities seized Valerie, a 279-foot superyacht, on Monday. Two sources told Reuters that it belonged to Sergei Chemezov, a former KGB officer who heads Rostec, a Russian state conglomerate specializing in defence.

Subsidiaries of Rostec supported the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014; as such, Chemezov is no stranger to foreign sanctions.

Valerie is valued at $140 million and sails under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is registered to Anastasia Ignatova, Chemezov’s stepdaughter.

Boating International says Valerie is outfitted with six decks. The top sundeck houses a central bar, six-metre pool, Jacuzzi and wellness area that includes a gym, massage room, beauty salon and steam room. At night, an outdoor fountain lights up to illuminate the dining room.

The Amore Vero was seized by French authorities on March 3 and is believed to belong to Igor Sechin. The $120 million boat is registered to a company of which Sechin, who runs the major Russian oil company Rosneft, is a primary shareholder. Rosneft is the third-largest company in Russia.

The 289-foot Amore Vero was preparing to depart the French resort town La Ciotat when authorities seized the vessel.

According to Oceanco , the shipbuilder who originally built the yacht in 2013, the Amore Vero has a main deck swimming pool that converts into a helipad, fold-down balcony extensions, and a jacuzzi that sits on the sundeck.

Dilbar, a superyacht launched in 2016, was frozen by German authorities early this month while government officials try to determine ownership. Dilbar isn’t officially seized but cannot leave Hamburg’s port without special permission.

Superyacht Dilbar stretches 450 feet in length, the size of one-and-a-half football fields. It reportedly cost around $650 million and can house more than 130 people. It has a 25-metre long swimming pool on deck and two helipads. It was docked in Hamburg’s port while it received retrofitting costing hundreds of millions of dollars.

The U.S. Treasury Department states that Dilbar is owned by Uzbek-born Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, whose mother is named Dilbar. Usmanov owns 49 per cent of holding company USM, making him one of Russia’s richest billionaires. He holds assets in metals and mining, telecommunications and IT sectors. He was also an early investor in Facebook.

On Wednesday, Spanish authorities detained another superyacht thought to be owned by Sechin, called the Crescent. The Crescent is 445 feet long and will be impounded in Spain until ownership is officially determined.

Most of the world’s superyachts don’t exceed 400 feet in length, making the Sy A, Dilbar and Crescent some of the largest in the world.

Not much is known about the construction of the Crescent. Specialty publication SuperYachtFan reports that it cost upwards of $600 million and features a retractable helicopter hangar, glass-bottomed pool and a two-level glass atrium. It estimates that it can house 18 guests and 24 crew members.

Lady Anastasia

The Lady Anastasia superyacht was seized by the Spanish government on Tuesday. It is owned by Russian oligarch Alexander Mikheyev, a police source told Reuters . Mikheyev heads Rosoboronoexport, a weapons exporting conglomerate.

The $8 million superyacht is 157 feet long, under a Saint Vincent and Grenadines flag.

In late February, Taras Opstapchuk, a Ukrainian crew member aboard the Lady Anastasia, attempted to sink the vessel in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. He opened the valves in the ship’s engine room and told local media that he’d do it again if given the opportunity.

Opstapchuk was arrested but later released for the sabotage. He is now in Ukraine fighting for his country.

Another superyacht that was seized is a 190 feet Dutch-built yacht, named Phi. The $50 million boat was detained in the Canary Wharf financial district of London and is the first Russian vessel to be detained in the UK.

British officials seized the yacht just hours before it was about to leave London on March 29, where it had docked for a meeting of the superyacht awards.

Features of the vessel, which was built by Royal Huisman, include a fresh-water swimming pool and what is described as an “infinite wine cellar.”

A joint operation between the U.S. and Spanish governments on April 4 resulted in the seizure of a 250-foot vessel named Tango.

According to the ship’s builder, Feadship , Tango can accommodate 12 guests and houses a private owners’ deck with a full stateroom and study. The ship also boasts a contra-flow swimming pool, beauty salon, and outdoor cinema.

The superyacht is valued at $120 million and is owned by Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian billionaire who heads up the Renova Group, a conglomeration of companies specializing in metals, mining, and tech. Vekselberg is a close ally to Putin and his assets in the U.S. have been frozen.

Vekselberg has close ties to the U.S., a country for which he used to hold a green card, and was questioned during Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Allegedly, $500,000 was routed through Vekselberg’s cousin’s company, Columbus Nova, before being sent to a shell company set up for Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s personal attorney. The money was reportedly moved in connection to hush payments for adult film star Stormy Daniels.

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Revealed: Russia-linked superyachts ‘going dark’ to avoid sanctions threat

Vessels with ties to Russian oligarchs hit by sanctions are no longer reporting their position to an automatic global locator

I n the sparkling azure waters of Antigua, the gleaming £95m superyacht Alfa Nero could be seen at anchor last week by sightseers enjoying the Caribbean coastline. But few of the tourists who spotted its sleek black hull would have appreciated that it was quite a find.

Since the invasion of Ukraine , the superyacht, which is linked to the Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev, has vanished off the global tracking maps used to locate marine traffic.

An investigation by the Observer this weekend reveals it is one of at least six superyachts linked to UK-sanctioned oligarchs which have “gone dark” on ocean tracking systems. The owners of these yachts will almost certainly realise they are at risk of being targeted in a global hunt for the assets of Russia’s super-rich.

At least 13 such vessels with a total value of nearly £2bn have already been impounded since the invasion of Ukraine, from southern France to Fiji. In the latter case, the superyacht Amadea, allegedly linked to the gold billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, was seized on behalf of the US .

Analysts report an increase in Russian-linked yachts which are turning off the automatic identification system (AIS) equipment used for tracking large vessels. The system can be turned off for legitimate reasons, but experts believe some vessels want to avoid detection.

An analysis by the Observer of AIS data compiled by the maritime and aviation market intelligence firm VesselsValue reveals other superyachts which have “gone dark” for more than a month include:

The 72-metre (238ft) superyacht Clio, linked to industrialist Oleg Deripaska, which sailed from the Indian Ocean to Turkey after the invasion. Its last transmitted location was on 18 April in the Black Sea, within range of the Russian ports of Sochi and Novorossiysk.

The 70-metre Galactica Super Nova, linked to the oligarch Vagit Alekperov, the sanctioned former president of Lukoil. The last transmitted location of the vessel was on 2 March off the Croatian coast.

The 140-metre Ocean Victory, linked to the sanctioned oligarch Viktor Rashnikov, which last transmitted its location at anchor in the Maldives on 1 March.

One member of crew on a superyacht linked to a Russian oligarch sanctioned by the UK told the Observer last week: “We were told to turn off the AIS. We removed the screws on the power plug and pulled it out.”

There are about 9,300 superyachts on the seas, worth more than £50bn, according to industry data. An estimated 10% of that fleet is owned by Russians.

One of the first superyachts to be impounded was the 86-metre Amore Vero, linked to the oil tycoon Igor Sechin , which was seized by customs officers at a shipyard at La Ciotat, near Marseille, on 2 March.

Italian authorities also impounded the 143-metre Sailing Yacht A on 12 March in Trieste. It is believed to be owned by the billionaire entrepreneur Andrey Melnichenko. He was sanctioned by the UK on 15 March.

Melnichenko’s other superyacht, the futuristic £240m Motor Yacht A, has disappeared from global tracking system. Its last confirmed location was on 10 March in the Maldives.

The last recorded location of the Alfa Nero on AIS was in the Caribbean on 3 March, when it was anchored at Philipsburg in Sint Maarten. The yacht is operating on a skeleton crew and has put its tender, the Alfa Fish, into storage.

Guryev, 62, a Russian who made his fortune with the Russian fertiliser giant PhosAgro, is reported by maritime sources to be the owner of the vessel. He was revealed to have bought London’s largest private residence, the 25-bedroom mansion Witanhurst, for £50m in 2008.

He has regularly enjoyed sailing on the Alfa Nero. The vessel is also used by his family, including his son (also Andrey) and his son’s wife, Valeria, who studied at the London College of Fashion and once reportedly stated on Instagram that she was “too pretty for work”. Like many yachts, it is owned via an opaque offshore structure, and Guryev has denied being the owner.

Other yachts which have not been tracked by AIS for more than a month include the Galactica Super Nova, which has a glass-bottomed swimming pool with a waterfall. It left Tivat in Montenegro on 2 March and promptly disappeared off the system.

The Clio, linked to Deripaska, sailed more than 3,000 miles after the invasion, from the Maldives, through the Suez Canal, across the Mediterranean and into the Bosphorus, gateway to the Black Sea and its Russian ports. In the Clio’s case, one reason it may have gone dark could be the perilous situation in the Black Sea arising from the war.

Other yachts which have not transmitted a confirmed location via AIS for at least a month include the My Sky, linked to the cigarette tycoon Igor Kesaev, which last reported its location in the Maldives on 30 March. The Maldives has no extradition treaty with the US, and at least five yachts linked to Russian owners have headed for its waters since the invasion. Other vessels, including two owned by Roman Abramovich, have headed to Turkey.

Under maritime rules, AIS should always be in operation when ships are under way or at anchor. All vessels of 300 gross tonnage and upwards must be fitted with it. A cruising vessel will typically transmit its location frequently, but it can turn the system off when in port. The data is relayed by radio receivers and satellites.

Sam Tucker at VesselsValue said: “There are some vessels where we would be previously getting a signal every few minutes from transponders and we are now seeing gaps of months. It’s very likely that some have flicked off the switch and gone into stealth mode.”

None of the sanctioned oligarchs linked to the six superyachts suspected of turning off their AIS responded to a request for comment.

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World’s most expensive sailing superyacht sits abandoned

The world’s most expensive superyacht, owned by a Russian oligarch, has remained stranded in the sea for almost two years.

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A Russian oligarch’s $860 million superyacht, seized by Italian police, has sat abandoned in the sea for almost two years.

The boat was nabbed in March 2022 as part of ongoing EU sanctions against Russia amid Vladimir Putin’s failing war in Ukraine.

It has remained stranded in the Trieste Gulf, off the coast of Italy, ever since, The Sun reports.

The superyacht is owned by Russian tycoon and Putin crony Andrey Melnichenko, one of a number of businessmen targeted under war sanctions.

Dubbed Sailing Yacht A, it is among the largest in the world – measuring 100 metres high and 143 metres long.

It underwent testing in Gibraltar in 2017 before it was handed over to Melnichenko.

The boat’s mast is bigger than Big Ben’s Tower by 10 feet and it’s even deemed a medium-sized cargo ship.

It has eight decks, a helicopter pad, an underwater observation room and a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system.

Run by a crew of 54, the yacht also has a digital control system that allows them to raise and lowers the sails and anchor just by swiping.

And it has the power to dash across waves at speeds of up to 20.8 knots.

The unconventional yacht was built by German Naval Yards, in Nobiskrug.

Now it sits impounded in a dry dock with a constant crew of 20 and Italian media reports that the government has spent over £6 million ($11.5 million) keeping it there.

Police cars with flashing lights reportedly swarmed the yacht and boarded it before impounding the vessel in 2022.

Melnichenko owns fertiliser company EuroChem Group and SUEK, a coal company.

He made headlines for his impressive ships when he moored his other £240 million masterpiece, “Motor Yacht A”, on London’s River Thames near Tower Bridge in 2017.

The tycoon is one of the richest men in the world and was one of 37 businessmen who met with Putin after the invasion of Ukraine to discuss potential sanctions.

An EU document described him as belonging “to the most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian government”, according to The Guardian .

It went on: “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.”

Both companies said Melnichenko had resigned just days before his yacht was seized in 2022.

A spokesperson for Melnichenko at the time 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,” Alex Andreev said.

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“We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.”

Italian police have apparently seized over $230 million worth of luxury boats and homes owned by Russian billionaires.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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I tutored the children of Russia's elite amid the backdrop of war. One teenager said he had his own massage therapist.

• I used to teach the children of Russian oligarchs and politicians.
• Our classrooms were penthouse apartments, yachts, and mansions in exclusive Moscow suburbs.
• The outbreak of war in Ukraine revealed just how isolated the kids were. 

This essay is based on the recollections of Cameron Manley, 24, a news fellow at Business Insider who previously worked as a private tutor in Moscow and, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Monaco. The names of students have been changed to protect their identity.

In late 2021, I started working for an international tutoring agency in Moscow.

The agency counted some of Russia's elite among its clientele — so I was quickly thrust into a world of private jets, guarded estates, and personal chauffeurs.

I worked in Moscow until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when I was relocated to Monaco.

We charged $150 per hour minimum for classes, but more experienced tutors and specific packages for private-school assessments or English-language testing would cost more.

Tutoring does not require any kind of formal qualification, but parents were still often happy to part with their cash as long as the tutors had a native-English accent and some connection to either the British private school system or some of the UK's top universities.

$150 was also small change for many of these families, which was reflected in the various classroom settings — Monaco penthouses, Moscow mansions, and yachts.

The money the Russian elite were willing to throw at young, inexperienced tutors was unbelievable — and frankly quite frightening.

I had acquaintances who worked as governors or nannies who were earning well into six figures.

Others were offered similarly extortionate salaries to spend their summers teaching on yachts in places like St. Barts in the Caribbean or sailing around the world.

I taught in luxurious villas and penthouse apartments

Often the children we taught, who were from four to around 18 years old, had private drivers who hurried them about in tinted Range Rovers or Mercedes-Benz cars.

In Moscow, many of our classes took place in Rublevka, an elite guarded estate in the west of the capital, where Russian President Vladimir Putin owns a home.

Many of the kids we taught lived in a world entirely different from any we had known.

A colleague of mine did after-school classes there with an eight-year-old boy called Ivan.

One week his family had been planning a weekend trip to get away from the capital: "I hope the weather isn't too bad so we can take the helicopter and don't have to drive," he said.

We also homeschooled two pupils: Alexei, 13, and his younger sister, Elena, 11.

The first time I met Alexei, he walked into our office sporting $1,000 Balenciaga trainers and a watch worth at least five times as much.

He was nevertheless a pleasant child but, like Ivan, appeared somewhat disconnected from reality.

In one class, he was shocked to hear that we didn't receive regular pampering from staff at home: "It's been seven months since you had a massage? I have a massage every day, I have my own massage therapist," he told us.

Elena was less communicative and didn't seem to enjoy the lavish lifestyle she had.

"What have I done to deserve this? I hate my life," she would often say.

My colleagues and I became increasingly concerned about her well-being as time went on.

She didn't enjoy classes alone and wanted to be with friends in a normal school.

But her parents insisted.

She seem tied to the life into which she had been born.

The job constantly surprised me

I met two types of parents in the job: Those who spent thousands of dollars on their children because they cared about them, and those who spent the money so that they didn't have to think about them.

I felt that many of the parents fell into the latter category.

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Frequently, we had little, if any, contact with the parents, and we would usually deal with nannies or drivers instead.

It felt like many of the parents found you to be an eye-sore in their luxurious lives.

Once, I had to teach a lesson at a seaside villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, an exclusive area between Nice in the south of France and Monaco.

The home was on a private road, and I entered through a large automatic gate that was littered with security cameras.

The house was spread out over two floors, with a swimming pool, a fully-equipped gym, a sauna, and a steam room.

When I arrived, they told me that the kids, aged four and six, had not finished their personal training session and that I would have to wait outside in the street.

Eventually the nanny said she would find me somewhere to sit "out of sight," so I was hurried into a large store cupboard in the furthest corner of the house. The kids strolled in about an hour later.

Some tried to get their children out of Russia after the invasion began

When the war in Ukraine broke out, a number of families came to us looking to find school placements for their children either in the West or in the United Arab Emirates , where many wealthy Russians fled at the outbreak of the war.

There was one family with three young children who were looking to find schools in Dubai.

Speaking to us in perfect English on Zoom with a background that boasted enormous paintings and palatial pillars, they seemed polite, well-mannered, and bright.

We later discovered that the kids were the grandchildren of a senior Russian politician who had played a major role in starting the war in Ukraine.

The irony was not lost on us that some of those who had played a key part in helping Putin initiate his brutal, unprovoked invasion were now trying to help their children escape Russia.

The children often brought up politics and the war

The company we worked for had explicitly told us to avoid discussing politics with the pupils, as the government was cracking down on protestors, and it could have put us and our pupils in danger.

But the children often brought the topic up themselves, their comments ringing with the ideology they had likely absorbed at home.

"Ukraine is ours, after all," Alexei told me in one class just after the invasion began in February.

Ivan, referring to a picture of Putin, once said, "Oh, he's amazing! Don't you think he's amazing?"

"You should open an office in Kyiv. It's beautiful there," one parent also wryly said to me.

There were occasional breakthroughs

We taught many different pupils but only one really seemed to appreciate just how lucky they were.

Elizaveta, 15, frequently expressed her discontent with Putin's Russia.

"We're killing thousands of innocent Ukrainians. It's awful," she once said.

That week, she had been kicked out of school for dyeing her hair and had asked her parents to book some additional classes so that she didn't fall behind.

Her parents were looking to send her to an English private school that September.

"The best thing I can do now is leave Russia," she told me. "That's the last option I have. Perhaps from abroad, I might be able to do some good."

Elizaveta was an anomaly, and most of the time, you had to settle for smaller victories.

I distinctly remember telling our homeschooled pupils that my colleagues and I had decided to leave Russia .

Elena seemed like she could not have cared less.

But Alexei looked genuinely upset.

It was as though the prism through which he saw the world had been, if not broken, then at the very least a little scratched.

Watch: VIDEO: How Russian media manufactured an alternate reality about the war in Ukraine

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