Here are the superyachts seized from Russian oligarchs

Dareh Gregorian
Updated

As part of an international pressure campaign on Russia, authorities from around the world have seized almost 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 this week, with more action expected soon as an international task force works to identify further assets that can be seized or frozen.

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

Lady M

Detained Superyachts Of Sanctioned Russian Billionaires (Giuliano Berti / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Detained Superyachts Of Sanctioned Russian Billionaires (Giuliano Berti / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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.

Lena

Image: The yacht
Image: The yacht

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

The
The

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.

Valerie

Image: The 85m long yacht
Image: The 85m long yacht

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.

Amore Vero

Image: Amore Vero, a yacht owned by a company linked to Igor Sechin, chief executive of Russian energy giant Rosneft, in a shipyard in La Ciotat, near Marseille, southern France, on March 3, 2022. (Nicolas Tucat / AFP - Getty Images)
Image: Amore Vero, a yacht owned by a company linked to Igor Sechin, chief executive of Russian energy giant Rosneft, in a shipyard in La Ciotat, near Marseille, southern France, on March 3, 2022. (Nicolas Tucat / AFP - Getty Images)

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.

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