RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRES ARE MOVING THEIR SUPERYACHTS TO SAFE HAVENS AS UKRAINE SANCTIONS LOOM LARGE

 Indiatimes 1 March 2022 - by Basit Aijaz

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As Russia continues its military assault on Ukraine, countries across the world have responded by imposing unprecedented economic and other sanctions on the aggressive nation. 

Leaders from the United States, European Union, Japan, and several other countries have come forward and announced a range of restrictions, on  Russian oligarchs, who have close connections to Vladimir Putin. 

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Sent into panic mode, superyachts owned by Russian billionaires are on the move as the countries prepare further sanctions on their property following the invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, a yacht allegedly belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Graceful, abruptly departed Germany in the middle of a repair job for Kaliningrad, a detached portion of Russian territory, Business Insider reported. 

Four other yachts tied to Russian elites have journeyed towards neutral waters in recent days as well, according to a CNBC analysis of maritime data.  

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Vagit Alekperov, the billionaire head of Russian oil giant Lukoil, is sailing his yacht, Galactica Super Nov, to Montenegro, a country with no extradition treaty to the U.S. It’s expected to arrive there in the coming days from Barcelona, Spain.

Meanwhile, Russian industrialist Oleg Deripaska’s yacht known as Clio left Sri Lanka almost two weeks ago and is expected to arrive in the Maldives shortly. Maldives also doesn’t extradite to the U.S.

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Deripaska and the companies associated with him were sanctioned in 2018 by the United States. He’s been one of a few Russia-based billionaires who have come out in opposing the conflict in Ukraine.  

At least three yachts owned by other Russian billionaires are getting closer to the Maldives, a small country located in the Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian sailor in Spain was arrested and later released for partially sinking a yacht owned by a Russian tycoon, in protest over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.  

Taras Ostapchuk, 55, was taken into custody on Saturday in Mallorca after he allegedly opened several valves to intentionally flood the yacht named the Lady Anastasia, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.  

The vessel is owned by Alexander Mikheev, who is the CEO of Rosoboronexport, the weapons export arm of Russia's state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec. According to the brief biography on the company's website, Mikheev was formerly head of defence contractor JSC Russian Helicopters.    

When the Civil Guard turned up to arrest him, the man is reported to have been waiting by the boat, telling authorities: “I don't regret anything I've done and I would do it again', adding: 'My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people."  

His actions led to him being arrested, but he was later released on bail.