With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, an international effort to force Russia to stop its advance and leave the country has begun. From U.S. sanctions making the Russian ruble nearly worthless to the freezing of assets of Russians who hold international accounts, it’s too early to tell whether or not any of this is working. The recent effort of seizing the yachts of Russian Oligarchs, however, may work. Here are just five of the yachts authorities around the world have impounded so far.
Spanish authorities seized the yacht Valerie mid-February to early March. Owned by Russian oligarch and former KGB operative Sergei Chemezov, the yacht was docked in Barcelona when it was seized. It’s not known exactly how much Chemezov is worth, but the 279 foot Valerie is estimated to be worth $140 to $150 million.
Lady M is owned by the second richest businessman in Russia, Alexei Mordashov. With a net worth of $22.3 billion, Lady M’s rumored $70 million value is a drop in the bucket to him. At 213 feet long and made out of aluminum, the Lady M boasts a 20-foot swimming pool and a small helipad. It was seized by Italian authorities at the northern Italian port of Imperia on March 4th.
Owned by Russian billionaire Gennady Nikolayevich Timchenko, Lena is a 132-foot superyacht. It was seized by Italian authorities the same day and at the same port as Alexei Mordashov’s Lady M. With Lena’s rumored $27 million worth, it’s pennies to Nikolayevich’s $11.9 billion net worth.
The 289-foot, $120 million Amore Vero was seized by French officials on March 16th at Cote D’Azur. Amore Vero is said to be owned by Igor Sechin. Not much is known about his wealth as he’s a close Putin ally. Sechin is also the CEO of the Russian oil company Rosneft.
With a name that looks like it could be shared with the third child of Elon Musk (the name literally means Sailing Yacht A), the 469-foot, $600 million superyacht was seized by Italian authorities on March 12th. Owned by Russian industrialist billionaire (net worth of $11.9 billion) Andrey Melnichenko, SY A is sinfully lavish. It has its own sub for underwater exploration, eight decks, and $40,000 bathroom faucets.