Where the Russian oligarchs ‘hide’ their luxury yachts

By Giacomo Tognini

Russian tycoons have been in the spotlight since February 24, when Vladimir Putin’s military forces invaded Ukraine. In his speech on the “State of the Union” on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden sends clear message to Russian oligarchs that his government will work with European countries to seize “their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets”.

The European Union (EU) on Monday imposed sanctions on six Russian oligarchs, bringing to 16 the total number of Russian billionaires subject to restrictive measures. At least two billionaire yachts owned by sanctioned billionaires – Alexei Mordasov and Alisher Usmanov – have recently been spotted in Italy and Germany. Their personal assets in the European Union, from private jets and super-yachts to luxury real estate, may now be frozen.

It is not yet clear whether the EU, the US or the UK will impose additional sanctions on other people. Using data gathered by VesselsValue expert assessors on the value of yachts, Forbes has compiled a list of all yachts owned by a Russian billionaire and their recent moves – whether or not they have been fined. . At least 12 Russian tycoons were left out of Forbes’ “list of billionaires” on Tuesday.

According to Sam Tucker, head of VesselsValue’s super-yacht division, yacht ownership is “a highly private matter”. The company trusts 90% of its data on these vessels, which are usually owned by offshore companies registered worldwide: from the Isle of Man to the Cayman Islands.

“Technically, these yachts belong to a special purpose vehicle, which usually does not seem to fall under the jurisdiction of the real owner,” Tucker added. “There are also lease systems that disconnect the landlord from the property.” Leasing systems are legal structures commonly used to purchase yachts, allowing individuals to own a yacht through a separate company – often registered in countries such as Malta and Cyprus – which then leases the yacht to the individual.

At a time when the Russian economy is collapsing under the weight of Western sanctions, the yachts of Russian oligarchs have anchored in sunny locations: from Monaco and Barcelona to Dubai and the Seychelles.

Follows the list of all yachts belonging to Russian oligarchs and are under the microscope of Forbes and VesselsValue (their current positions are derived from public data on VesselFinder and MarineTraffic):

Alexander Abramov

Vessel name: Titan (value: $ 82 million)
Length: 78 meters
Last recorded location: Male (Maldives) – March 1st
Flag: Bermuda

Roman Abramovich

Vessel Name: Eclipse (value: $ 438 million)
Length: 162 meters
Last recorded location: Filisburg (Saint Martin) – March 1
Flag of Bermuda

Vessel name: Solaris (value: $ 474 million)
Length: 140 meters
Last recorded position: Barcelona (Spain) – March 1
Flag: Bermuda

Vagit Alekperov

Vessel name: Galactica Super Nova (value: $ 67 million)
Length: 70 meters
Last recorded location: Tivat (Montenegro) – 1 March
Flag: Cayman Islands

Alexei Mordasov (EU sanctions on 28/2/2022)

Vessel name: Lady M (value: $ 27 million)
Length: 65 meters
Last recorded: Imperia (Italy) – March 1
Flag: Cayman Islands

Vessel name: Nord (value: not available)
Length: 141 meters
Last recorded: La Digue (Seychelles) – March 1
Flag: Cayman Islands

Oleg Deripaska (US sanctions in 2018)

Vessel name: Clio (value: $ 58 million)
Length: 72 meters
Last recorded: Gal (Sri Lanka) – February 10 [εν πλω προς Μαλέ (Μαλδίβες)]

Flag: Cayman Islands

Alexander Frolov

Vessel name: Dream (value: $ 3 million)
Length: 33 meters
Last recorded location: Unknown
Flag: Cayman Islands

Sergei Galitsky

Vessel name: Quantum Blue (value: $ 213 million)
Length: 104 meters
Last recorded position: Monaco – March 1
Flag: Cayman Islands

Andrei Guriev

Vessel name: Alfa Nero (value: $ 81 million)
Length: 81 meters
Last Posted: Phillisburg (St. Martin) – March 1st
Flag: Cayman Islands

Igor Kesayev

Vessel name: My Sky (value: $ 30 million)
Length: 51 meters
Last recorded location: Unknown
Flag: Cayman Islands

Vessel name: Sky (value: $ 23 million)
Length: 50 meters
Last recorded location: Filisburg (Saint Martin) – March 1
Flag: Cayman Islands

Anatoly Lomakin

Vessel Name: Sea & Us (value: $ 58 million)
Length: 62 meters
Last Posted in: Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – March 1
Flag: Marshall Islands

Igor Makarov

Vessel name: Areti I (value: $ 7 million)
Length: 39 meters
Last recorded location: St. Augustine (Florida) – March 1st
Flag: Cayman Islands

Andrei Melnichenko

Vessel name: A (value: $ 204 million)
Length: 119 feet
Last Posted in: Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – March 1
Flag: Isle of Man

Vessel name: SY A (value: not available)
Length: 143 meters
Last recorded: Trieste (Italy) – March 1
Flag: United Kingdom

Leonid Mickelson

Vessel name: Pacific (value: $ 115 million)
Length: 85 meters
Last recorded offshore: Puntarenas (Costa Rica) – February 16
Flag: Cayman Islands

Andrei Molchanov

Vessel name: Aurora (value: $ 110 million)
Length: 74 feet
Last recorded position: Barcelona (Spain) – March 1
Flag: Cayman Islands

Alexander Ness

Vessel name: Romea (value: $ 110 million)
Length: 82 meters
Last recorded: Victoria (Seychelles) – March 1
Flag: Cayman Islands

Vladimir Potanin

Vessel Name: Nirvana (Value: Not Available)
Length: 88 meters
Last recorded location: Male (Maldives) – March 1st
Flag: Cayman Islands

Mikhail Prokhorov

Vessel name: Palladium (value: $ 157 million)
Length: 95 meters
Last recorded location: Unknown
Flag: Cayman Islands

Dmitry Pubianski

Vessel name: Axioma (value: $ 42 million)
Length: 72 meters
Last Posted by Inglis Harbor (Antigua and Barbuda) – March 1
Flag: Malta

Viktor Rasnikov

Vessel name: Ocean Victory (value: $ 294 million)
Length: 140 meters
Last recorded location: Male (Maldives) – March 1st
Flag: Cayman Islands

Arkady Rotenberg (Sanctions from the EU in 2017, from the US in 2018, from the United Kingdom on 22/2/2022)

Vessel name: Rahil (value: $ 38 million)
Length: 65 meters
Last recorded location: Istanbul (Turkey) – November 4, 2021
Flag: Russia

Dmitry Rimbolovlev

Vessel name: Anna (value: not available)
Length: 110 meters
Last Posted by Five Island Harbor (Antigua and Barbuda) – March 1
Flag: Cayman Islands

Anatoli Sedic

Vessel name: Hermitage (value: $ 73 million)
Length: 68 meters
Last recorded: Victoria (Seychelles) – March 1
Flag: Cayman Islands

Eugene Schwindler

Vessel name: Le Grand Bleu (value: $ 109 million)
Length: 108 meters
Last recorded location: Filisburg (Saint Martin) – March 1
Flag: Bermuda

Andrei Scott (Sanctions by the US in 2018 and by the EU on 23/2/2022)

Vessel name: Madame Gu (value: $ 156 million)
Length: 99 meters
Last Posted: Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – February 28
Flag: Cayman Islands

Alexander Svetakov

Vessel name: Cloudbreak (value: $ 98 million)
Length: 75 meters
Last Posted: off Victoria (Seychelles) – February 20 [εν πλω προς Ντάροου (Λουιζιάνα)].
Flag: Cayman Islands

Oleg Tinkov (Forbes list of “Real-Time Billionaires” on March 1)

Vessel name: La Datcha (value: not available)
Length: 76 meters
Last recorded location: Campo San Lucas (Mexico) – March 1
Flag: Russia

Vessel name: YCM 90 (value: $ 2 million)
Length: 27 meters
Last recorded location: Unknown
Flag: Cayman Islands

Alisher Usmanov (EU sanctions on 28/2/2022)

Vessel Name: Dilbar (value: $ 588 million)
Length: 156 meters
Last recorded: Hamburg (Germany) – 5 January
Flag: Cayman Islands

Read also:

* “Civil” oligarchs in Russia – Who disagrees with Putin’s invasion

* How Putin helps oligarchs save their wealth