Italy Seizes the $700 Million Yacht Suspected to be Owned by Putin

According to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on May 6, Italian authorities have ordered the seizure of a $700 million superyacht which has been undergoing repairs in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara for the past six months. The Italian Finance Ministry said in a statement that police investigations have indicated the owner of the boat had links to the prominent elements of the Russian government and with people who have been hit by the EU sanctions. Local media and activists suspected the superyacht had links with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is reported that the 140-meter superyacht Scheherazade, built by the German firm Luerssen in 202, has two helicopter pads, a swimming pool and a movie theater. All crew members, except the captain, are Russian citizens, many of whom are employed by the Russian Federal Protection Service, the agency responsible for Putin’s personal security.

It is also reported that Fijian authorities seized a Russian-owned superyacht on May 5 under a U.S. warrant, which the U.S. authorities say is owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. The U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on May 5 that there was no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enabled the Russian regime.