nord yacht seized

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.

Russian oligarch's luxury yacht departs Hong Kong port

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting By Greg Torode and Donny Kwok in Hong Kong; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

World Chevron

Iran's president raisi, foreign minister die in helicopter crash, iranian official tells reuters.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister died when their helicopter crashed as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog, an Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.

Vietnam's fifth-ranking leader has quit her posts, the ruling Communist Party said on Thursday, the third top official to exit in two months, as the ruling party carried out a major reshuffle of its ranks.

A Russian oligarch’s $500M mega yacht is roiling U.S.-Hong Kong relations

It was the mega yacht that got away. As Western sanctions hit Vladimir Putin’s allies earlier this year following the Russian leader’s invasion of Ukraine, their luxury yachts were seized one after another in jurisdictions around the world.

But not the Nord , a $500 million vessel tied to steel mogul Alexey Mordashov. This spring the ultra-luxurious yacht risked a collision by turning off its transponders and racing full steam ahead back to Vladivostok from the Indian Ocean, evading the grasp of Western authorities.

Now, infuriatingly to U.S. officials, it’s docked for all to see in Hong Kong—and authorities there are doing nothing about it.

A spokesman for Hong Kong’s marine department  told the Financial Times :

“Certain countries may impose unilateral sanctions against certain places on the basis of their own considerations,” but the Hong Kong government “does not implement, nor do we have the legal authority to take action on, unilateral sanctions imposed by other jurisdictions.”

Hong Kong’s reputation

U.S. officials were not impressed. State Department officials told the U.K. paper that Hong Kong’s “reputation as a financial centre depends on adherence to international laws and standards…The possible use of Hong Kong as a safe haven by individuals evading sanctions from multiple jurisdictions further calls into question the transparency of the business environment.”

Others agreed.

It would “raise risks considerably if Hong Kong became widely seen as a popular destination for the assets of sanctioned Russian corporations or individuals,” Ryan Mitchell, who teaches international law at Chinese University of Hong Kong, told the paper. He added, “Hong Kong-based corporations or individuals should be aware that they could later face secondary sanctions if they enter into business transactions or relationships with Russian sanction targets.”

Mordashov has close ties with Putin and made his billions as chairman of Severstal, a Russian steel-and-mining giant.

Not all of his yachts got away, however. In April, Italy seized his Lady M superyacht in the port of Imperia after the European Union blacklisted Mordashov. That yacht, however, is valued at a mere $27 million and measures just 215 feet.

The Nord , by contrast, extends 465 feet and is valued at half a billion dollars. A Superyacht Times video about the vessel, made by a German shipyard, has garnered more than 570,000 views on YouTube.

Sign up for the  Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

‘No sign of life’ at site where helicopter carrying Iran’s president crashed, state TV says

China’s EV makers are having more trouble paying their bills and now take 2 to 3 times longer than Tesla does

Lamborghini’s CEO says fully electric supercars are ‘not something that is selling so far’

The ship that destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge will be escorted by up to 5 tugboats as it’s moved to a nearby dock

Jerome Powell recalls the moment that changed his life forever: ‘A little initiative can make all the difference in anyone’s career’

AI chip giant Nvidia is about to report first-quarter earnings: Here’s what Wall Street expects as growth looks set to cool

Most popular.

France admits it’s lost control of parts of New Caledonia, the world’s third-largest producer of critical EV metal nickel

Amazon raised warehouse wages to $15 an hour 5 years ago. Today, half of workers surveyed told researchers they struggle to afford  food or rent

Thousands of North Koreans stole Americans’ identities and took remote-work tech jobs at Fortune 500 companies, DOJ says

Why can’t America have high speed rail? Because our investment is a ‘rounding error’ compared with Europe’s, says Amtrak’s CEO

Wealthy travelers seeking sun, sand, and luxury are flocking to the Caribbean paradise next to Haiti, where armed gangs dominate

Consumers are so demoralized by inflation and high rates that they’ve given up on saving for the American Dream and are spending money instead, economist says

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Les Marquables de Martell
• Mira Villas
• Panther National
• Reynolds Lake Oconee
• Wynn Las Vegas
• 672 Wine Club
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

A Russian Oligarch’s $500 Million Megayacht Has Avoided Seizure for Months. It Was Just Spotted in the Maldives.

The vessel stopped transmitting its location en route to cape town. now it's in the indian ocean., dana givens, dana givens's most recent stories.

• You Can Now Book a Stay in the Parisian Theater That Inspired ‘The Phantom of the Opera’
• This Bonkers $250,000 Valentine’s Day Dessert Comes With a Diamond Ring by Lorraine Schwartz
• Amid Milan’s Booming Real Estate Market, Luxury Buyers Are Turning Toward Rome for Better Deals
• Share This Article

Nord might just be the most elusive superyacht on the high seas.

Related Stories

• Tesla’s Cybertruck Inspired This New Solar-Powered Trailer
• McLaren Just Unveiled the World’s Most Powerful Street-Legal E-Bikes
• This New 394-Foot Custom Superyacht Will Be the Largest Amels Yet

Mordashov—the largest shareholder in the steelmaker Severstal and the third-richest man in Russia —has been sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The oligarch maintains he has had no involvement in Russian politics and has been fighting the sanctions since May.

However, like other sanctioned Russians, his assets continue to be seized by Western governments. In fact, Mordashov lost his 215-foot  superyacht ,  Lady M , back in March after it was confiscated by Italian police. In response, billionaires have started relocating their high-priced ships to safer waters.

South Africa initially seemed like a good option. President Cyril Ramaphosa previously said “South Africa has no legal obligation to abide by sanctions imposed by the US and EU.” However, the mayor of Cape Town opposed welcoming Nord , adding there may be protests from the port city’s large Ukrainian community.

The Maldives do not currently have extradition treaties with the US. However, the country is a member of the United Nations, which has vehemently denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Let’s see if Nord ends up dropping anchor.

Dana Givens is a former digital staff writer for Robb Report. Before joining the team, she was a seasoned freelancer covering travel and lifestyle topics for outlets such as Business Insider, Fodor's…

Read More On:

• South Africa

More Marine

This New 131-Foot Superyacht Concept Brings High Architecture to the High Seas

ISA Unveils a Trio of Sleek New Superyachts

Wider Yachts Is Debuting a 92-Foot Hybrid Catamaran at the Venice Boat Show—Here’s a First Look

Killer Whales Sunk a 50-Foot Sailing Yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar

Culinary Masters 2024

MAY 17 - 19 Join us for extraordinary meals from the nation’s brightest culinary minds.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

K Superyacht in Photos

Meet ‘Home,’ the Sleek 164-Foot Superyacht That Starred in ‘Below Deck’

More from our brands, bruce nordstrom, retail titan, ultimate ‘shoe dog,’ dead at 90, no a’s in attendance: oakland trails a whopping 553 u.s. teams, korea box office: ‘if’ and other new releases make little impact as ‘the roundup: punishment’ hits $75 million, artist joseph awuah-darko accuses kehinde wiley of sexual assault, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

News | World

Revealed: Luxury interior of Russian oligarch’s $500m superyacht after he sails it to Vladivostok ‘to evade Western sanctions’

The sumptuous interior of a sanctioned Russian oligarch’s yacht was exposed after customs officers posted a video on social media .

Alexei Mordashov’s $500 million floating palace Nord docked in Vladivostok after he reportedly feared it would be seized in the Seychelles .

Normally Moscow ’s billionaire set ply the waters of more exotic locations, and the sight of the 465ft Nord has stunned locals in Russia’s Pacific capital.

They are rushing to take selfies with the elite vessel, and customs officers who inspected the ship on arrival in port.

They were escorted around the ship by one of the crew, wearing shorts.

The video shows how well 56-year-old oligarch Mordashov - worth $21.2 billion according to Forbes - has done since he graduated from Northumbria University in England.

“We can see the interiors of several decks, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado cars, all-terrain vehicles, jet skis, motor boats, and a bathyscaphe,” said one local media account.

On a tour of the ship, a customs officer looks inside the 5-star facilities and says: “Business class room.”

The crew member corrects him saying: “First class”.

A customs man inspects one of several drinks cabinets, and comments disapprovingly: “No Russian vodka.”

The oligarch’s study was shown, and a shower room and pantry.

Mordashov is the main owner of Severstal, Russia’s largest steel and mining company.

Due to the video, the smart interior of the ocean-going yacht with its own swimming pool has been exposed for all to see.

“This is how the wealthy live even when they’re sanctioned,” said one comment.

“Mordashov won’t get any sympathy here.”

Andrey Prokopchuk, a trade unionist, said: “Previously, serious guys used to tattoo the word ‘North’ [Nord] on their arms.”

It meant they had served time in a jail in Siberia or the Arctic.

“Today our serious boys have changed and named their mega-yachts like this.”

Others were more sympathetic.

“I am amazed at the ingenuity of the owner of this beauty,” said Yulia Ivanova.

“To sail this work of art for 20 days to its native land.”

The yacht costs $50 million to run but it remains out of reach of Western countries while in Russian waters.

Another Mordashov yacht worth $71 million and property worth $116 million was seized in Italy due to EU sanctions.

“I have absolutely nothing to do with the emergence of the current geopolitical tension and I do not understand why the EU has imposed sanctions on me,” he told Russian state news agency TASS.

Nord sails under a Cayman Islands flag.

Putin army's advances slow but Ukraine forces hit by munitions shortages

Putin military attacks Kyiv for first time in 44 days with wave of missiles

Ukraine drones 'attack' base of Putin long-range strategic bomber fleet in Russia

Past AXA Startup Angel winners share their tips

Create a FREE account to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy notice .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

• Register as a Guest

*You will receive a confirmation email to login as a guest

Update on Russian Yachts Seized: 142m Lürssen superyacht Nord Returns to Russia

• Posted 06-29-2023
• Worldwide  
• Industry   International  

It is being widely reported by international broadcasters and throughout social media, that Russian-owned superyachts are being seized as they sit in waters of the countries that are posing sanctions on Russian companies and oligarchs. While these reports have been circulated, the sources behind some of these stories have been broadly unknown, we will continue to update this article as and when further yachts are sanctioned.

(Update 28-06-2023 11:45)  142m  Lürssen  superyacht  Nord  returns to Russia

According to online publication  Bloomberg News , the 141.63-metre  Lürssen  superyacht  Nord  has returned back to her homeland of Russia after more than a year of avoiding sanctions and seizures. 

Nord  had not transmitted an AIS signal in almost eight months, but was recently showing a location in Indonesia on 12 June before travelling to Vladivostok, Russia, where she is currently moored. 

The superyacht is believed to be owned by Russia’s richest man, Alexey Mordashov, who was targeted with sanctions by the US and EU, but not the United Nations, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Nord  had avoided capture, and in October 2022, the  Lürssen  superyacht appeared in Hong Kong before continuing to Cape Town. Once her stop in South Africa became known, the AIS transponder was turned off, permitting her location from being tracked. In November 2022, Nord was seen travelling between two islands in the Maldives and has since made her way back to her homeland of Russia.

Nord  was delivered in 2021 and features interior and exterior design by  Nuvolari Lenard , with naval architecture from her builder  Lürssen Yachts . She encompasses six decks and can accommodate up to 36 guests across 20 staterooms. 

Key features onboard  Nord  include a large helicopter landing deck aft, with fold-down side platforms to provide shelter for her helicopter. This can be stowed away in a retractable hangar that slides neatly into the superstructure when not in use. 

She is also equipped with a large sports and diving centre on the lower deck, oversized swimming pool on the main deck, and a fleet of custom tenders. Performance-wise,  Nord  is powered by four  MTU  engines, giving her a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots.

Read the entire article here .

Article Author: Superyacht Times

Article URL: https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/update-on-russian-yachts-seized

Search News

• International

Recent News

• Galapagos Angel Yacht
• Christmas Splendor Afloat: Unwind in Galapagos Magic
• 2023 Yacht Sales & the Law - What would I tell my younger self
• 2023 Yacht Sales & the Law - The Auction Open

News Categories

• Legislative
• Legislative Affairs

Nord Stream sabotage one year on: What to know about the attack

Investigators from Germany, Sweden and Denmark remain tight-lipped while speculation and theories abound.

A year has passed since explosions rocked the Nord Stream pipelines , cutting off a major route for Russian gas exports to Europe and fuelling geopolitical tensions already at a fever pitch after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

However, despite official investigations in three countries, the question of who is responsible for the act of sabotage remains unanswered.

Keep reading

Putin calls ukraine role in nord stream blasts ‘sheer nonsense’, russia may demand compensation over nord stream blasts: diplomat, un security council turns down request for nord stream inquiry, nord stream sabotage probe turns to clues in poland: report.

Without hard evidence, many theories have emerged pointing the finger at Ukraine, Russia or the United States, all of which have denied involvement.

Here is what we know about the Nord Stream attack:

What happened to the Nord Stream pipelines?

On September 26, 2022, several underwater blasts ruptured three of the four pipelines comprising Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, spewing vast amounts of gas into the Baltic Sea near Bornholm, Denmark.

Russian energy giant Gazprom halted flows through Nord Stream 1, the main conduit for Russian natural gas to Germany, amid disputes over the war in Ukraine a month earlier.

The newly completed Nord Stream 2 twin pipelines never opened as Berlin pulled the plug on the project days before Russian troops entered Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

The 10-billion-euro ($10.6bn) Nord Stream 2 had long been opposed by Ukraine, the US and Eastern European countries which feared it would give Russia too much influence over Germany’s energy security.

Diplomatically sensitive investigations ongoing

The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark , so both countries launched investigations into the incident. So far, they say the explosions were deliberate, but they have yet to single out who was behind the blasts.

Germany also launched an investigation with federal prosecutors searching a yacht in January that might have been used to transport the explosives. They seized objects from the vessel and found traces of explosives.

They have refused to comment on media speculation that a team of five men and one woman chartered the Andromeda yacht from Rostock port to carry out the operation.

“The identity of the perpetrators and their motives” remains the subject of ongoing investigations, Germany’s prosecution office told AFP news agency.

The fact all three countries have kept a tight lid on their investigations is unsurprising, according to analysts, given the potential diplomatic fallout of what they might uncover.

The theories: A pro-Ukrainian group, Russian naval ships, and a US plot

Investigative journalists have been carrying out their own research to solve the Nord Stream whodunnit, leading to sometimes sensational, if unconfirmed, reports.

Dutch military intelligence warned the CIA of a Ukrainian plan to blow up the pipelines three months before the attack, Dutch broadcaster NOS and Germany’s Die Zeit and ARD reported in June. The Washington Post made a similar claim.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly denied his country was behind the sabotage.

“I would never do that,” he told Germany’s Bild newspaper, adding he would “like to see proof”.

In March, The New York Times wrote that US officials had seen intelligence indicating a “pro-Ukrainian group” was responsible, without Zelenskyy’s knowledge.

German media have focused on the Andromeda, with reporters from Der Spiegel magazine and broadcaster ZDF recreating the journey they believe was made by the six-person crew.

According to their reporting, a forged passport used to hire the sailboat leads back to a Ukrainian soldier, while the charter fee was paid by a company registered in Poland with ties to a woman in Kyiv.

In June, The Wall Street Journal reported Germany was trying to match DNA samples found on the vessel “to at least one Ukrainian soldier”. The Journal also said evidence found in the investigation included data from Andromeda’s radio and navigation equipment, satellite and mobile phones, and Gmail accounts allegedly used by the perpetrators.

Danish media have reported a Russian naval vessel specialised in submarine operations, the SS-750, was photographed near the site of the blasts days before the attack.

US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reported in February the US was behind the blasts and that Norway assisted . It was dismissed as “fiction” by the White House.

Was it a false flag operation?

Experts have not ruled out a “false flag” operation by Russia, with clues deliberately placed to pin the blame on Ukraine.

Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies, said he sees Russia as “the most likely” culprit.

Any suspected involvement by Kyiv in an attack on Europe’s energy infrastructure could threaten the support of allies, which would benefit Russia.

At the same time, the destroyed pipelines could help Gazprom avoid compensation claims for undelivered gas, even though the company was reluctant to keep the taps open before the blasts.

Moscow may have sought “to kill two birds with one stone”, Umland said.

The Kremlin has strongly denied responsibility.

Moscow blames the US

Russia has alleged the US was behind the attack, noting the sabotage “occurred after the repeated threats  to the Nord Stream by the leadership of the United States”.

In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the argument that Kyiv was behind the explosions, instead laying blame on the US .

“Who is interested? Theoretically, the United States is interested in stopping the supply of Russian energy to the European market and supplying volumes of its own,” he told an interviewer.

“Such an explosion, so powerful and at such depth, could only be conducted by experts backed by the entire potential of a state that has relevant technologies,” said Putin.

Hot on the trail of 56 superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs and subject to seizure

• Published: Mar. 06, 2022, 2:04 p.m.

French authorities have seized the yacht Amore Vero linked to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft, as part of EU sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The boat arrived in La Ciotat on Jan. 3 for repairs and was slated to stay until April 1 and was seized to prevent an attempted departure. (AP Photo/Bishr Eltoni) AP

• The Associated Press

The massive superyacht Dilbar stretches one-and-a-half football fields in length, about as long as a World War I dreadnought. It boasts two helipads, berths for more than 130 people and a 25-meter swimming pool long enough to accommodate another whole superyacht.

Dilbar was launched in 2016 at a reported cost of more than $648 million. Five years on, its purported owner, the Kremlin-aligned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, was already dissatisfied and sent the vessel to a German shipyard last fall for a retrofit reportedly costing another couple hundred million dollars.

That’s where she lay in drydock on Thursday when the United States and European Union announced economic sanctions against Usmanov — a metals magnate and early investor in Facebook — over his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.

“We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets,” President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, addressing the oligarchs. “We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.”

But actually seizing the behemoth boats could prove challenging. Russian billionaires have had decades to shield their money and assets in the West from governments that might try to tax or seize them.

Several media outlets reported Wednesday that German authorities had impounded Dilbar. But a spokeswoman for Hamburg state’s economy ministry told The Associated Press no such action had yet been taken because it had been unable to establish ownership of the yacht, which is named for Usmanov’s mother.

Dilbar is flagged in the Cayman Islands and registered to a holding company in Malta, two secretive banking havens where the global ultra-rich often park their wealth.

Still, in the industry that caters to the exclusive club of billionaires and centimillionaires that can afford to buy, crew and maintain superyachts, it is often an open secret who owns what.

Working with the U.K.-based yacht valuation firm VesselsValue, the AP compiled a list of 56 superyachts — generally defined as luxury vessels exceeding 79 feet in length — believed to be owned by a few dozen Kremlin-aligned oligarchs, seaborne assets with a combined market value estimated at more than $5.4 billion.

The AP then used two online services — VesselFinder and MarineTraffic — to plot the last known locations of the yachts as relayed by their onboard tracking beacons.

While many are still anchored at or near sun-splashed playgrounds in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, more than a dozen were underway to or had already arrived in remote ports in small nations such as the Maldives and Montenegro, potentially beyond the reach of Western sanctions. Three are moored in Dubai, where many wealthy Russians have vacation homes.

Another three had gone dark, their transponders last pinging just outside the Bosporus in Turkey — gateway to the Black Sea and the southern Russian ports of Sochi and Novorossiysk.

Graceful, a German-built Russian-flagged superyacht believed to belong to Putin, left a repair yard in Hamburg on Feb. 7, two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. It is now moored in the Russian Baltic port of Kaliningrad, beyond the reach of Western sanctions imposed against him this past week.

Some Russian oligarchs appear to have not gotten the memo to move their superyachts, despite weeks of public warnings of Putin’s planned invasion.

French authorities seized the superyacht Amore Vero on Thursday in the Mediterranean resort town of La Ciotat. The boat is believed to belong to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft, which has been on the U.S. sanctions list since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

The French Finance Ministry said in a statement that customs authorities boarded the 289-foot Amore Vero and discovered its crew was preparing for an urgent departure, even though planned repair work wasn’t finished. The $120 million boat is registered to a company that lists Sechin as its primary shareholder.

On Saturday, Italian financial police in the port of San Remo seized the 132-foot superyacht Lena, which is flagged in the British Virgin Islands. Authorities said the boat belongs to Gennady Timchenko, an oligarch close to Putin and among those sanctioned by the European Union. With an estimated net worth of $16.2 billion, Timchenko is the founder of the Volga Group, which specializes in investments in energy, transport and infrastructure assets.

The 213-foot Lady M was also seized by the Italians while moored in the Riviera port town of Imperia. In a tweet announcing the seizure on Friday, a spokesman for Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the comparatively modest $27 million vessel was the property of sanctioned steel baron Alexei Mordashov, listed as Russia’s wealthiest man with a fortune of about $30 billion.

But Mordashov’s upsized yacht, the 464-foot Nord, was safely at anchor on Friday in the Seychelles, a tropical island chain in the Indian Ocean not under the jurisdiction of U.S. or EU sanctions. Among the world’s biggest superyachts, Nord has a market value of $500 million.

Since Friday, Italy has seized $156 million in luxury yachts and villas in some of its most picturesque destinations, including Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como.

Most of the Russians on the annual Forbes list of billionaires have not yet been sanctioned by the United States and its allies, and their superyachts are still cruising the world’s oceans.

The evolution of oligarch yachts goes back to the tumultuous decade after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, as state oil and metals industries were sold off at rock-bottom prices, often to politically connected Russian businessmen and bankers who had provided loans to the new Russian state in exchange for the shares.

Russia’s nouveau riche began buying luxury yachts similar in size and expense to those owned by Silicon Valley billionaires, heads of state and royalty. It’s a key marker of status in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and size matters.

“No self-respecting Russian oligarch would be without a superyacht,” said William Browder, a U.S.-born and now London-based financier who worked in Moscow for years before becoming one of the Putin regime’s most vocal foreign critics. “It’s part of the rite of passage to being an oligarch. It’s just a prerequisite.”

As their fortunes ballooned, there was something of an arms race among the oligarchs, with the richest among them accumulating personal fleets of ever more lavish boats.

For example, Russian metals and petroleum magnate Roman Abramovich is believed to have bought or built at least seven of the world’s largest yachts, some of which he has since sold off to other oligarchs.

In 2010, Abramovich launched the Bermuda-flagged Eclipse, which at 533 feet was at the time the world’s longest superyacht. Features include a wood-burning firepit and swimming pool that transforms into a dance floor. Eclipse also boasts its own helicopter hangar and an undersea bay that reportedly holds a mini-sub.

Dennis Cauiser, a superyacht analyst with VesselsFinder, said oligarch boats often include secret security measures worthy of a Bond villain, including underwater escape hatches, bulletproof windows and armored panic rooms.

“Eclipse is equipped with all sorts of special features, including missile launchers and self-defense systems on board,” Cauiser said. “It has a secret submarine evacuation area and things like that.”

Eclipse was soon eclipsed by Azzam, purportedly owned by the emir of Abu Dhabi, which claimed the title of longest yacht when it was launched in 2013. Three years after that, Usmanov launched Dilbar, which replaced another slightly smaller yacht by the same name. The new Dilbar is the world’s largest yacht by volume.

Abramovich, whose fortune is estimated at $12.4 billion, fired back last year by launching Solaris. While not as long as Eclipse or as big as Dilbar, the $600 million Bermuda-flagged boat is possibly even more luxurious. Eight stories tall, Solaris features a sleek palisade of broad teak-covered decks suitable for hosting a horde of well-heeled partygoers.

But no boat is top dog for long. At least 20 superyachts are reported to be under construction in various Northern European shipyards, including a $500 million superyacht being built for the American billionaire Jeff Bezos.

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

But, he added, the escalating U.S. and EU sanctions on Putin-aligned oligarchs and Russian banks have sent a chill through the industry, with boatbuilders and staff worried they won’t be paid. It can cost upwards of $50 million a year to crew, fuel and maintain a superyacht.

The crash of the ruble and the tanking of Moscow stock market have depleted the fortunes of Russia’s elite, with several people dropping off the list of Forbes billionaires last week. Cauiser said he expects some oligarch superyachts will soon quietly be listed by brokers at fire-sale prices.

The 237-foot Stella Maris, which was seen by an AP journalist docked this past week in Nice, France, was believed to be owned by Rashid Sardarov, a Russian billionaire oil and gas magnate. After publication of an earlier version of this story, AP was contacted Sunday by yacht broker Joan Plana Palao, who said his company represents a U.S. citizen from California who purchased the Stella Maris last month. He declined to disclose the name of the buyer or the person from whom the boat had been purchased.

On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a new round of sanctions that included a press release touting Usmanov’s close ties to Putin and photos of Dilbar and the oligarch’s private jet, a custom-built 209-foot Airbus A340-300 passenger liner. Treasury said Usmanov’s aircraft is believed to have cost up to $500 million and is named Bourkhan, after his father.

Usmanov, whose fortune has recently shrunk to about $17 billion, criticized the sanctions.

“I believe that such a decision is unfair and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity and business reputation,” he said in a statement issued through the website of the International Fencing Federation, of which he has served as president since 2008.

Abramovich has not yet been sanctioned. Members of the British Parliament have criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not going after Abramovich’s U.K.-based assets, which include the professional soccer club Chelsea. Under mounting pressure, the oligarch announced this past week he would sell the $2.5 billion team and give the net proceeds “for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, location transponders showed Solaris moored in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday. Eclipse set sail from St. Maarten late Thursday and is underway in the Caribbean Sea, destination undisclosed.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• Boat Pro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

The best photos of 142m Lürssen superyacht Nord

The 142 metre Lürssen superyacht Nord is one of the largest and most secretive superyachts completed in 2021 . When she hit the water she joined the exclusive club of 100m+ superyachts and has swiftly become a favourite among yacht spotters and enthusiasts alike. We take a closer look at Lürssen's mega build...

Nord's helidecks

Nord is home to two helicopter landing pads allowing guests to come and go as they please in total privacy. The first can be found on the bridge deck aft with a retractable hangar that can concertina into the superstructure when not in use; a second larger helipad is positioned on the bow. 

Nord in the Indian Ocean

Nord has already racked up some serious mileage since her delivery in Feburary 2021. She departed Gibraltar in April and headed straight to the Caribbean to catch the last of the winter cruising season. After a brief stay back at the Lürssen shipyard she spent summer cruising the Mediterranean before heading down through the Suez Canal and into the Indian Ocean.

If her champagne-tinted hull wasn't enough to make this vessel stand out, its nameplate certainly makes sure people know Nord is in town. Its unusual flared bow starts to square off as it meets the foredeck, which allows for a nameplate to be emblazoned across the front (and it even lights up at night).

Nord on the move

Nord was pictured here on sea trials under her build name Project Opus. The North Sea is a rite of passage for superyachts leaving the Lürssen shipyard and Nord was no exception.

Designed by Italian design studio Nuvolari Lenard , Nord features a total of six decks, which can all be seen clearly here. Speaking about the superyacht, studio co-founder Dan Lenard previously described Nord as "a warship wearing a tuxedo". The yacht is specifically intended for long-range cruising and global exploration.

Nord at dusk

In some lights, Nord's distinct hull colour seems to turn to gold with turquoise LEDs illuminating her nameplates and accents of the superstructure. 

Nord at night

Nord's aft name plate lights up as night falls, while bright lighting illuminates the decks. One of Nord's fleet of tenders, the largest of which measures 15 metres, can also be seen here moored to the stern of the yacht. 

Sponsored listings

A rare look inside Nord, the $500 million megayacht of Russia’s richest man Alexei Mordashov. The 464 feet long tuxedo donning warship has palatial interiors. For extra fun, its garage has a hovercraft, a deep-diving submarine, ATV’s, a few Toyota Land Cruisers, and more.

The video shows us first-hand the elegance and enormousness of a megayacht in the truest sense of the term. From seemingly unending corridors to well-appointed interiors and the most insane tender garage, the Nord is a massive ship that’s impressive from the word go.

You may also like

Take a look inside the worlds largest yacht – It is 728 feet long and will offer the ultra-rich $11 million luxury onboard condos.

Walking on the path of Mackenzie Scott, Billionaire Melinda Gates is investing a whopping $1 billion of her own money to help women in the United States.

This insane 328 trimaran concept has six decks, two pools, two helipads and even two spas.

If Apple were to ever design a superyacht for billionaires, it would look precisely like this. With a slick design, this 279 feet long vessel has curves at the right places, it’s ultra-luxurious yet very practical.

This palatial 314-foot Expedition yacht comes with a lounge that is partly submerged underwater

Is Mark Zuckerberg trying to project himself as the toughest CEO in the world? The Facebook co-founder has posted a video of him sparing with two of the best MMA fighters in the world on a floating barge in the middle of Lake Tahoe.

Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk’s $200 million superyacht has a mammoth 40-feet long swimming pool and a backlit waterfall.

Did Jeff Bezos get fed up with the unwanted attention and turn off the location transponders of his $500 million Koru megayacht? In spite of hosting celebrity friends and family, the Amazon founder’s 416-foot-long vessel has been sailing dark for more than two months now.

Roman Abramovich’s newest megayacht is a $610 million fortress – Solaris can zap drones mid-air, it has secret pirate-proof passageways, a radar-based anti-missile system, bulletproof windows, & armored cabins.

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine 'destroys Russian Black Sea minesweeper'

Ukraine's navy says it has destroyed a Russian Black Sea fleet minesweeper. Meanwhile, an attack on a residential area in Kharkiv left six civilians injured - with Ukraine saying it is investigating the bombing as a potential war crime.

Sunday 19 May 2024 17:40, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Six killed - including pregnant woman - in strikes on Kharkiv recreation area
• Ukraine investigating 'potential war crime' after civilians wounded
• Ukrainian soldiers reveal how they were secretly moved ahead of Russian invasion
• Russia takes control of village in Kharkiv - defence ministry

We're pausing our coverage of the Ukraine war for the moment.

Scroll through the blog below to catch up on today's developments.

Russian forces likely intend to launch the second phase of their offensive following their anticipated seizure of Vovchansk, three miles from the Russian border, according to the latest analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that Russian forces advanced between five and 10 kilometres in the northern Kharkiv region before Ukrainian forces stopped Russian advances.

The ISW says Russian forces are currently prioritising the seizure of Vovchansk because it is likely one of the remaining tactical objectives of the first phase, noting it is the largest settlement immediately on the border that would provide Russian forces with a staging ground to prepare for and launch the second phase.

The Russian objectives of the second phase are not yet clear, the ISW says. It could be to expand the "buffer zone" further in width along the border, or to advance closer to Kharkiv city.

Russian forces have also recently intensified efforts to seize the operationally significant town of Chasiv Yar, the ISW says, seeking to exploit the pressure on stretched Ukrainian forces. 

The number of people killed in Russian strikes on a Kharkiv recreation area has risen from five to six, with an employee of the resort still unaccounted for. 

At least 27 people were injured in the two airstrikes, which came about 20 minutes apart, according to an update from the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office on Telegram. 

The missing employee was fishing by a reservoir when the attack happened, the update said. 

Two police officers are among the injured, it added. 

The UK's defence secretary has confirmed the military aid that has been "rushed" to Ukraine. 

Grant Shapps said the "world cannot wait" as he urged nations to "step up" and support Kyiv's fight against Russia. 

Among the items sent by the UK are 80 defence missiles, one million rounds of ammunition and 20 Viking amphibious protected vehicles. 

Mr Shapps' tweet comes after he urged allies to give permission to Ukraine to use the weapons they have supplied against targets in Russian-annexed Crimea.

"We have been very, very clear with the world and helpful to Ukraine - for example, providing permissions for our weapons to be used throughout the whole of Ukraine ... that includes Crimea, which was taken by Putin in 2014," he told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 

"Now, we do not get into how we would allow targeting with our weapons to be used outside of that. But we do provide our weapons to Ukraine in order for them to defend their country."

Pressed on Volodymyr Zelensky's calls for weapons to be available for strikes inside Russia, Mr Shapps said: "I can't go into the specifics of those private conversations about how the weapons are precisely used."

Finland will propose a law that would see it turn back migrants to Russia without processing their asylum applications - despite this potentially breaching its international human rights commitments.

Finland shut its border with Russia last year to stop a growing number of arrivals from countries including Syria and Somalia.

It accused Moscow of weaponising migration against Finland and the European Union, an assertion the Kremlin denies. 

"As this phenomenon is in Russia's hands - who comes, where from and when, to Finland's border - we cannot permit it," Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters.  

"Therefore we have to augment our legislation." 

The bill would allow border authorities to turn back asylum seekers who cross from Russia, with or without using force. But it would not apply to children and disabled people.

The proposal will go to parliament next week, where it will be submitted to the constitutional committee for review. It will need five-sixths of votes cast in parliament to pass - the high bar required for constitutional matters - and success is not certain. 

The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces have published their daily operational update... 

It says "intense" fighting is ongoing along almost the entire frontline, with 78 "combat clashes" already today, compared to 110 for the entirety of yesterday. 

The Russian forces became increasingly active on the Kharkiv front, with seven clashes reported so far today.

The situation in Kharkiv is "dynamic", it says, with Russian troops trying to push back the Ukrainian units near Vovchansk, Starytsia and Lyptsi.

Russia said on Saturday its forces had captured the village of Starytsia, bringing the total number of villages it has taken in the Kharkiv region to 13.

Russia has been pushing ahead with a ground offensive in recent days that opened a new front in northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region and put further pressure on Kyiv's overstretched military. 

Russian forces have also increased their activity on the Siversk front and are attempting to break through Ukrainian defences in Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske and Rozdolivka, the update says. 

Oleksandr Usyk defeated British boxing star Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world on Saturday night.

But Fury says the outcome was down to the Ukraine war. 

He disputed his loss after the match, saying: "I believe I won that fight. I think he won a few rounds but I won the majority of them.

"His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion."

In response, Ukrainian Usyk said he was "ready for rematch," but later added: "I don't think about rematch now, I want to rest."

After today's attacks President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again called on Western allies to supply Kyiv with additional air defence systems to protect Kharkiv and other cities. 

He said there were reports "every hour" of fresh attacks. 

"Missiles, bombs, artillery are the only things that allow Russia to continue its aggression," he said on Telegram. 

"The world can stop Russian terror - and to do so, the lack of political will among leaders must be overcome."

"Two Patriots for Kharkiv will make a fundamental difference," he said, referring to Patriot missile defence systems. 

Air defence systems for other cities and sufficient support for soldiers on the front line would ensure Russia's defeat, the president added. 

This morning, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the delay in giving aid to Ukraine gave Russia a window of opportunity for its new offensive. 

Five people have died in strikes on two villages in the Kupiansk district in Kharkiv, local officials say. 

It brings the number of people killed in the Kharkiv region today to 10, after five people died in strikes on a recreation area in a northern suburb of the city of Kharkiv.

Local governor Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces shelled two villages with a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher. 

At least nine people were injured in the attacks. 

We're getting photos of the aftermath of strikes on a recreation area just outside Kharkiv which killed five people and left at least 16 injured. 

The pictures show a lakeside resort, where shortly before the attacks local residents were "resting, enjoying a normal way of life", according to a local police inspector (see our 11.54 post).

Parademics and police tend to the wounded, but were also caught up in the second strike, which came about 20 minutes after the first. 

These are known as "double tap" strikes, which kill or injure emergency workers at the scene of strike impacts. 

Here are the latest photos from the scene...

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free