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Spain seizes another Russian yacht believed to belong to an oligarch.

The ship was impounded in the Spanish port of Tarragona pending an inspection to establish its exact ownership, Spain’s transport ministry said.

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By Raphael Minder and Michael Forsythe

• March 16, 2022

MADRID — Spain, which has pledged to seize the suspected superyachts of Russian oligarchs targeted for sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on Wednesday impounded the third such vessel, one of the world’s biggest superyachts, in Spanish territorial waters this week.

The ship was impounded in the Spanish port of Tarragona, pending an inspection to establish its exact ownership, Spain’s transport ministry said in a statement. The ship, called the Crescent, was registered in the Cayman Islands.

The Spanish authorities have taken similar measures against two other yachts, the Valerie, which was in a maintenance yard in Barcelona, and Lady Anastasia, a yacht that was moored in Port Adriano, on the Spanish island of Majorca.

Spain’s hunt for Russian-owned superyachts comes after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the seizure of the Valerie on Monday and warned that “there will be more.”

The transport ministry said on Wednesday that if the inspections confirmed that the yachts belonged to people on the sanctions list drawn up by the European Union, they would remain fully immobilized.

The Valerie is suspected of being indirectly owned by Sergei Chemezov, the head of Rostec, a Russian industrial conglomerate that also makes military technology and equipment. The vessel was one of four Russian-owned superyachts that had recently been undergoing work at MB92, a shipyard that has helped establish Barcelona as one of the main hubs for the extravagant yachts owned by the super wealthy.

The Crescent, valued by the SuperYachtFan website at $600 million, appears to be the sister ship of the slightly larger, slightly more expensive Scheherazade, a 459-foot superyacht that U.S. officials said could be associated with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

Both were built at the same German shipyard, Lurssen, where the Crescent was given the project name “ Thunder ,” while the Scheherazade, put into service about two years later, was called “Lightning.” Both share the same interior and exterior designers and have been managed by a Monaco company, Imperial Yachts, which caters to Russian oligarchs.

The two yachts also share another, unusual characteristic: Photos of the Crescent taken on March 13 by a former Central Intelligence Agency officer, Alex Finley, in the Spanish port where it was impounded appear to show that the Crescent conceals its nameplate while in port, just like the Scheherazade .

Track information on the Crescent from MarineTraffic , a maritime data provider, shows that Crescent spends most of its time in the Mediterranean, cruising between Spain, Italy, France and Montenegro, a popular destination for the yachts of Russian oligarchs. The 445-foot long Crescent, one of the 20 largest superyachts , has been at the Tarragona marina since early November.

Last week Italian police said they were investigating the ownership of the Scheherazade, which is in dry dock at a port on the Tuscany coast.

The Lady Anastasia, which was impounded on the island of Mallorca, is believed to be owned by Alexander Mikheev, a Russian arms dealer. In late February, the police on Majorca detained a Ukrainian member of the yacht’s crew because he had been planning to sink the vessel, in retaliation for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was released on bail, pending an investigation.

In early March, the French authorities seized a yacht in a yard in La Ciotat, which they said was linked to Igor Sechin, the chief executive of the state oil company Rosneft and a former deputy prime minister of Russia. The French yard is owned by MB92, the Spanish company that owns the yard in Barcelona.

MB92 said at the time that it was cooperating with the French authorities and would respond in due course to any possible further sanctions against Russians. “We are continuously monitoring the decisions taken by the Spanish authorities, the European Union and the U.S. as they come into effect,” the company said.

Raphael Minder  covers Spain and Portugal, based in Madrid. He previously worked for Bloomberg News in Switzerland and for the Financial Times in Paris, Brussels, Sydney and finally Hong Kong. More about Raphael Minder

Michael Forsythe is a reporter on the investigations team. He was previously a correspondent in Hong Kong, covering the intersection of money and politics in China. He has also worked at Bloomberg News and is a United States Navy veteran. More about Michael Forsythe

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Former KGB Agent, Putin Ally Has $140 Million–Plus Yacht Seized in Spain

Authorities in Spain seized a superyacht belonging to Russian oligarch Sergei Chemezov, Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Monday.

Chemezov is a former KGB officer and head of Russian state conglomerate Rostec, Reuters reported. He was part of the United States' and Australia's lists of sanctions this month. The vessel, called Valerie , is 279 feet long and valued at over $140 million, the report added. Other estimates have the value of the yacht at about $153 million.

Valerie 's seizure is just one of several yacht seizures taking place across Europe. As sanctions from the European Union , U.S. and other Western countries continue to mount on Russian oligarchs, more yachts that are still within the sanctions' reach have been blocked from sailing.

"Today we seized—the technical term is provisionally immobilized —a yacht belonging to one of the principal oligarchs," Sanchez announced on La Sexta television, adding that "there will be more."

Before he was included on the U.S. and Australia's sanction lists for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Chemezov was sanctioned by the U.S. and the EU in 2014 and the United Kingdom in 2020 for the Russian annexation of Crimea, Reuters reported. Chemezov has not yet been on the EU's recent sanction lists, but it is possible he will be included in a list expected to release in the next few days.

The yacht is registered to Anastasia Ignatova through a British Virgin Islands company, the Reuters report added. Ignatova is also the subject of U.S. sanctions, as is the rest of Chemezov's family.

Valerie is one of several yachts and superyachts that have been seized in Europe. Newsweek reported Saturday that authorities in Italy seized Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko's yacht, which is worth more than $570 million.

Last week, Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov's yacht Dilbar was restricted from leaving where it was anchored in Germany. Dilbar was large enough for two helipads and a swimming pool and valued at more than $640 million before it started undergoing renovations at the German port worth another few hundred million dollars.

To avoid the same fate, some Russian oligarchs have made efforts to move their vessels outside of the sanctions' reach, anchoring the yachts in places like the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives and the Caribbean.

Another report by Reuters described Chemezov as "a close ally" of Russian President Vladimir Putin . According to the report, Chemezov told his staff that while the sanctions "are rather serious," Russia will come out on top in this war.

"If you glance at Russia's history, almost all of that history Russia has battled with different sanctions, with enemies which encircled her, and she always came out as the victor," he said. "Now will be the same."

Update 03/15/22 11:10 a.m. ET: This story was updated to add more background information.

• Over a Dozen Yachts Owned by Russian Oligarchs Out of Reach of Sanctions
• Italy Seizes $578M Yacht of Putin's 'Closest Circle' Member
• Russian Oligarchs Hide Money in Plain Sight in Luxury New York City Condos

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Superyacht Owner’s ‘KGB Plan’ Thwarted At Last Minute In Barcelona

"They might have gotten the idea from an old KGB plan."

Motor Yacht Valerie in happier times. Image via Twitter (@vilanova_marina)

A sanctioned AU $156 million superyacht has attempted to flee Barcelona, in what one commentator has described as a “KGB” esque manoeuvre . The superyacht was almost successful in fleeing, but was sprung by authorities at the last minute.

A $156 million superyacht, formerly known as Motor Yacht Valerie, and now known as Meridian A, almost escaped Barcelona, where it was under arrest, by changing its name and applying to leave. The superyacht has been stuck in Barcelona since March, under sanction in the MB92 shipyard (a far cry from the happier days of 2020 when it was still cruising around freely).

The transition from summer to winter season brought with it the joy of greeting familiar faces. It’s a pleasure to see 85m MY Valerie comfortable in her berth once again. To find out more about our marina facilities and berth services, visit https://t.co/YcJOFWOAZv pic.twitter.com/7CVhNPWNbl — VilanovaGrandMarina (@vilanova_marina) November 25, 2020

The owner allegedly stopped paying for the maintenance of the vessel as soon as it was arrested in March 2022.

“Today we seized – the technical term is provisionally immobilised – a yacht belonging to one of the principal oligarchs,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Spanish television at the time.

According to SuperYachtNews , “It’s been sat there ever since.” Despite the fact that, if the owner really did stop paying for upkeep, it is unclear as to who has been paying crew salaries, SuperYachtNews claims “obviously it still has a crew on board” based on the unusual actions that have occurred recently.

What are those actions? Well, the name Motor Yacht Valerie, which was on the stern, has allegedly been changed to Meridian A, something which is “highly unusual for a vessel to be allowed to do… when it’s under arrest,” SuperYachtNews reports.

“The story behind this, you could make a movie out of this actually… the vessel was moved recently… out of the shipyard to a vacant berth to continue working on it,” SuperYachtNews reports.

“According to the international maritime organisation the vessel is owned by Solberg Services Limited and the management company… is Royale Oceanic International Yacht Managament Limited, which is in the UK. But there is another company name that is being thrown about in some of the press reports that I’ve been seeing which is… Amtech Worldwide Limited.”

SuperYachtNews goes on to claim that Solberg Services is a shell company and that “the owner of the yacht is obviously in the background but it’s done on purpose to hide the ownership.”

“Both [are] reported to be owners of the yacht, one company owned by the other to create confusion.” SuperYachtNews

“The company which is called Amtech, gave permission to another shell company, which is currently unknown the name of that company, they gave permission to them to run this yacht. It’s most likely the same people. It’s just movements on paper and then they change the name of the yacht from Valerie to Meridian A – then the crew on board removed the old name, put up a temporary new name removed the names off the side of the boat and then the management company which applied for and was granted permission for the vessel to leave under the new name.”

WATCH: Onboard Motor Yacht Valerie

“The management company asked for and then initially received permission for the vessel to leave. The plan was apparently to leave the EU and get out into international waters and then to head to a friendly country,” SuperYachtNews speculated.

“Now what I believe most likely would have happened is that vessel was probably light on fuel.. they certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to fill up so they probably would have needed fuel and gone to North Africa somewhere to fill up and then probably headed to Turkey.”

RELATED: Which Superyachts Belong To Which Russian Oligarchs? An Investigation

“The port authority transit granted that permission, but then they got wise and then they sort of figured out it was the same boat that was under sanctions and then the Spanish Civil Guard went down and boarded that vessel and prevented it from leaving, but I’m told it was minutes away from leaving.”

In the build-up to the alleged attempted escape, the superyacht is said to have disconnected the generator it had been given by the port, started using its own generators, got ready to leave and then was thwarted at the last minute. SuperYachtNews makes a further interesting claim, too, saying the boat’s owner, Sergey Chemezov, is ex-KGB and close with Putin.

SuperYachtNews claims there is an ex-KGB story of them trying to do something similar back when they were in the KGB, which also failed, speculating that “it seems like they might have gotten the idea from an old KGB plan.”

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From yachts to lavish estates, tracking Russian assets seized so far

By Tal Yellin , CNN

Published April 13, 2022

Updated April 27, 2022

Countries are on the hunt for sanctioned Russian assets after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. Thousands of Russians have since been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, among others. Superyachts and multimillion-dollar properties have already been seized or frozen by authorities in Italy, France, Spain, the UK and Gibraltar. The United States has also launched KleptoCapture, a task force focused on those who violate sanctions and the seizing of their assets.

This interactive will continue to track known developments and help show where sanctioned Russians park their money outside of Russia. Except for Igor Sechin and Sergei Chemezov, no other oligarchs or related persons mentioned in this story responded to requests for comment from CNN.

Real estate

Other assets

April 14, 2022

“dilbar”  linked to    alisher usmanov   valued at $600-$750 million in hamburg, germany.

Germany has impounded the “Dilbar,” a superyacht connected to a Russian oligarch in Hamburg, the country’s embassy in the US tweeted . The yacht belongs to the sister of Alisher Usmanov and is worth between $600 to $750 million, according to the German Federal Criminal Police Office. Usmanov is one of Russia’s wealthiest billionaires with vast domestic and international holdings. The US government sanctioned him in early March in a campaign targeting Putin’s allies, stating Usmanov is alleged to have “financial ties” to Putin. In March, Italy’s financial police seized his real estate and assets worth about $90 million. Usmanov has also been sanctioned by the European Union.

April 12, 2022

Assets  linked to    roman abramovich   valued at over $7 billion in jersey.

Authorities in the Channel island of Jersey froze more than $7 billion worth of assets “suspected to be connected to” Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, according to a government statement . The frozen assets are either located in Jersey or owned by Jersey incorporated entities, the statement said. The States of Jersey Police also executed search warrants on premises “connected to the business activities” of Abramovich. Abramovich made his fortune in steel and investments and was sanctioned by the UK in March, citing his decades-long relationship with Vladimir Putin. In a statement at the time , the UK government noted that “he is one of the few oligarchs from the 1990s to maintain prominence under Putin.” These frozen assets represent around half his net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index .

April 11, 2022

Properties  linked to    nikita mazepin   valued at $114.3 million in sardinia, italy.

A real estate compound, “Rocky Ram,” linked to Nikita Mazepin and his oligarch father Dmitry was seized in Sardinia, the Italian financial police confirmed in a statement. The police said the properties are worth 105 million euros (about $114.3 million). Nikita, a former Formula 1 Haas team driver, and his father were included on a list of individuals sanctioned by the EU in early March. The sanction list described Mazepin Sr. as “a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin” saying he and 36 other ”businesspeople” met with Putin and other government officials to discuss how sanctions would affect Russia. In early March, Mazepin Sr. sold his controlling stake in Uralchem Group, one of the largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers in Russia, and resigned as CEO from Uralchem JSC, a subsidiary, according to a company statement .

April 7, 2022

Assets  linked to    sanctioned russians   valued at $7.83 billion in switzerland.

Switzerland has so far frozen 7.5 billion Swiss francs (about $7.83 billion) of sanctioned Russian assets, according to a State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) spokesperson. The number of frozen assets increased from March 24, when 5.75 billion Swiss francs (about $6.18 billion) were initially frozen. Frozen assets include 11 properties throughout Switzerland. No identifiable information was revealed and no specific assets were mentioned in the initial statement. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Switzerland broke from traditional neutrality and adopted EU sanctions.

April 5, 2022

Assets  linked to    sanctioned russians   valued at $3 billion in belgium.

Belgian authorities have frozen $3 billion in Russian assets and blocked $215 billion in transactions since the start of economic sanctions, according to Belgian Minister of Finance Vincent Van Peteghem. The frozen assets belong to 877 individuals and 62 entities on the European sanctions list, according to the statement from the Belgian Finance Ministry. The blocked transactions are the result of other restrictions imposed by the European Union on Russia.

April 4, 2022

“tango”  linked to    viktor vekselberg   valued at $90 million in mallorca, spain.

Spanish authorities seized a superyacht named “Tango,” which they say is owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg in Mallorca, according to a statement from the Spanish Civil Guard. The detained yacht was part of an operation with US federal agents and was carried out under a Spanish court order, the statement said. Vekselberg runs the Russian investment company Renova Group. He is worth approximately $16.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He was sanctioned by the United States and is “under investigation for tax fraud, money laundering and document forgery trying to hide the ownership of this superyacht to avoid sanctions” and is “very close to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin,” the Spanish Civil Guard said. Vekselberg’s case marks the first seizure for the newly formed US task force, KleptoCapture. The yacht is 78 meters long (about 256 feet) and is valued at nearly $90 million, per the US Department of Justice.

March 29, 2022

“phi”  linked to    a russian businessman   valued at $50 million in london, england.

The United Kingdom detained the “Phi” yacht belonging to an unnamed-Russian businessman with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian regime, according to the UK Department for Transport. The Dutch-built vessel is docked in East London’s Canary Wharf for the superyacht awards, and was planning to depart March 29. The Department of Transport claims that the ownership of the boat was “deliberately well hidden.” It sails under the Maltese flag and is registered to a company based in the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. The 192-foot yacht is worth approximately £38 million (about $50 million).

March 23, 2022

Assets  linked to    sanctioned russians   valued at $800 million in france.

French authorities have frozen assets linked to sanctioned Russian oligarchs valued at $800 million, according to French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal. The European Union’s latest round of sanctions in early March against Russia included measures targeting 160 oligarchs and Russian politicians. “There will be no taboo if we need to go further,” Attal said about any additional sanctions.

March 22, 2022

Assets  linked to    sanctioned russians   valued at $431 million in the netherlands.

The Netherlands has frozen nearly 392 million euros (about $431 million) in Russian assets, the Dutch Ministry of Finance told parliament in a letter seen by CNN. The ministry said that further asset freezes were expected. The European Union’s latest round of sanctions in early March against Russia included measures targeting 160 oligarchs and Russian politicians.

March 21, 2022

“axioma”  linked to    dmitry pumpyansky   valued at $75 million in gibraltar.

Authorities in Gibraltar have detained the “Axioma” yacht linked to Russian billionaire Dmitry Pumpyansky, according to UK and Gibraltar government statements. Pumpyansky was sanctioned by the EU and UK and was the beneficiary of TMK PAO, Russia’s largest oil and gas steel pipe maker. He also resigned from the TMK PAO’s board of directors, the company announced . The 240-foot yacht is worth approximately $75 million, according to SuperYachtFan . Gibraltar’s ports had been closed to sanctioned individuals, but the Captain of the Port made an exception after JPMorgan Chase was granted a court order authorizing the seizure. “JPMorgan is acting pursuant to its mortgage rights,” the Gibraltar government said in a statement to CNN. JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the United States, said in a statement in early March it was getting out of Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, citing “compliance with directives by governments around the world.”

March 18, 2022

Real estate  linked to    alexey mordaschov   valued at $116 million in sardinia, italy.

The Italian financial police seized a real estate complex belonging to Russian billionaire Alexey Mordaschov in Sardinia, according to Italy’s Prime Minister’s office. Mordaschov is the chairman of Russian mining and steel company Severstal and is one of Russia’s richest men, worth $18.5 billion, according to Forbes . The frozen real estate is worth around 105 million euros (about $116 million), per Ferdinando Giugliano, the media advisor to the Italian Prime Minister. On March 4, Mordaschov’s yacht, named “Lady M” was also seized in Italy. The 213-foot yacht is worth approximately 65 million euros (about $71 million).

March 16, 2022

“crescent”  linked to    an unknown owner   valued at $600 million in tarragona, spain.

Spanish authorities have detained a superyacht, named “Crescent” in the port of Tarragona, according to a statement from Spain’s Ministry for Transport. The 135-meter yacht flies a Cayman Islands flag and has been “provisionally detained” to establish whether it is the possession of a person or entity included in the European Council’s package of sanctions, the statement said. The yacht cost approximately $600 million, according to SuperYachtFan.

Real estate  linked to    Petr Aven   valued at $4.4 million in Sardinia, Italy

The Italian financial police froze a real estate complex belonging partially to Russian oligarch Petr Aven in Sardinia, according to a statement issued by Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s press office. The share of real estate is worth approximately 4 million euros (about $4.4 million), according to the Italian Prime Minister’s office. The billionaire stepped down earlier this month as Director of Russian private bank Alfa Bank and from the board of the investment firm he co-founded, LetterOne, after being sanctioned by the EU and UK . The European Union named Aven as “one of Vladimir Putin’s closest oligarchs,” who “regularly meet” with the Russian President in the Kremlin, and “does not operate independently of the President’s demands.”

Real estate and vehicles  linked to    Alisher Usmanov   valued at $72 million in Italy

Real estate assets and six corporate vehicles belonging to Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov were seized by the Italian financial police. The seized assets are worth approximately 66 million euros (about $72 million). Usmanov is one of Russia’s wealthiest billionaires with vast domestic and international holdings. The US government sanctioned him in early March in a campaign targeting Putin’s allies, stating he is alleged to have financial ties to Putin. Italy’s financial police had previously seized his real estate in the Golfo del Pevero area in Arzachena on March 4. Those assets are worth approximately 17 million euros (about $18 million).

March 15, 2022

“lady anastasia”  linked to    alexander mikheev   valued at $7 million in palma de mallorca, spain.

Spanish authorities have detained a yacht linked to Russian oligarch Alexander Mikheev, named “Lady Anastasia,” in the port of Palma de Mallorca, according to the Spanish Ministry of Transport. Mikheev is the CEO of Rosoboronexport, the only state organization in Russia that exports weapons and was sanctioned by the EU and the US. The yacht is nearly 48 meters (157 feet) long and was in the news in late February, when a crew member tried to sink the vessel in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The yacht is worth approximately $7 million, according to a listing on BOAT International.

“Valerie”  linked to    Sergei Chemezov   valued at $140 million in Barcelona, Spain

Spanish authorities seized the “Valerie” yacht reportedly linked to Russian oligarch and former KGB agent Sergei Chemezov in the port of Barcelona, according to Reuters . Chemezov is the chairman of the Rostec conglomerate and a member of the Supreme Council of ‘United Russia’, per EU sanctions . When the US sanctioned Chemezov in 2014 — as part of an effort targeting Putin’s inner circle — the government said he had known Putin since the 1980s and the two lived in the same apartment complex in East Germany. The yacht is worth approximately $140 million and will remain “provisionally immobilized” until authorities can determine its ownership. A spokesman for Chemezov denied that he is tied to the yacht.

March 11, 2022

“sailing yacht a”  linked to    andrey melnichenko   valued at $577 million in trieste, italy.

The Italian financial police seized “Sailing Yacht A” — which could be linked to Russian fertilizer and coal billionaire Andrey Melnichenko — in the port of Trieste, according to Ferdinando Giugliano, the media advisor to the Italian Prime Minister. Melnichenko was sanctioned by the EU on March 9 and has since removed himself from the boards of two companies he founded, Eurochem and SUEK, according to his spokesman Alex Andreev in a statement to CNN. At 469 feet long, the vessel is also the world’s tallest sailing yacht — taller than the Statue of Liberty — and is worth approximately 530 million euros (about $577 million).

March 4, 2022

“villa lazzareschi”  linked to    oleg savchenko   valued at $3.3 million in lucca, italy.

A 17th century villa allegedly owned by Oleg Savchenko, named “Villa Lazzareschi,” was seized by Italian financial police in the province of Lucca, according to a police statement . Savchenko is a member of the State Duma and was sanctioned by the EU. The seized Italian villa is worth approximately 3 million euros (about $3.3 million).

Real estate  linked to    Vladimir Soloviev   valued at $8.7 million in Como, Italy

Real estate properties belonging to Vladimir Soloviev were seized by the Italian financial police in the province of Como, according to a police statement . Soloviev is a Russian pro-Kremlin propagandist and TV/radio journalist, according to EU Council sanctions . The frozen Italian real estate is worth approximately 8 million euros (about $8.7 million).

Real estate  linked to    Alisher Usmanov   valued at $18 million in Arzachena, Italy

A real estate compendium belonging to Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov was seized by the Italian financial police in the Golfo del Pevero area in Arzachena, according to a statement . The frozen Italian real estate is worth approximately 17 million euros (about $18 million).

Usmanov is one of Russia’s wealthiest billionaires with vast domestic and international holdings, according to the US Treasury. The US government sanctioned him in early March in a campaign targeting Putin’s allies, stating he is alleged to have financial ties to Putin. The US said it sanctioned his private jet and his 512-foot superyacht named “Dilbar.”

“Lena”  linked to    Gennady Timchenko   valued at $55 million in San Remo, Italy

The Italian financial police seized Russian billionaire Gennady Timchenko’s yacht, named “Lena,” in the port of San Remo, according to a police statement . Timchenko is the owner of private investment group, Volga Group. He was sanctioned by the EU in February. When the US government sanctioned Timchenko in 2014, an effort targeting Putin’s inner circle, they stated his “activities in the energy sector have been directly linked to Putin.” The 126-foot yacht is worth approximately 50 million euros (about $55 million).

“Lady M”  linked to    Alexey Mordaschov   valued at $71 million in Imperia, Italy

The Italian financial police seized Russian billionaire Alexey Mordaschov’s yacht, named “Lady M,” in the northern port of Imperia, according to a police statement . Mordaschov is the chairman of Russian mining and steel company Severstal and is one of Russia’s richest men, worth $18.5 billion, according to Forbes . The 213-foot yacht is worth approximately 65 million euros (about $71 million).

March 3, 2022

“amore vero”  linked to    igor sechin   valued at $120 million in la ciotat, france.

French authorities seized a yacht linked to Igor Sechin in the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat, according to the French Finance Ministry . Sechin is the CEO of Rosneft, the Russian state oil company and one of the world’s largest crude oil producers. The yacht, named “Amore Vero” — or “True Love” in Italian — was scheduled to leave the port on April 1 after arriving in January. Sechin was deputy prime minister of Russia from 2008 until 2012. The European Union said his connections to Putin are “long and deep,” with the two men maintaining daily contact. The yacht is worth about $120 million, according to SuperYachtFan. A Sechin spokesman denied that he is tied to the yacht.

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Senior Visuals Editor @CNNBusiness @CNN

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck appear to have previously sailed on a recently seized $100 million superyacht linked to a Russian arms tycoon

• Valerie, a $100 million superyacht linked to a Russian arms tycoon, was seized by Spain on Monday.
• Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck appear to have sailed on Valerie in July.
• Valerie is linked to Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of Rostec, a Russian state-owned defense conglomerate.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck appear to have previously sailed on a recently seized $100 million superyacht linked to a Russian arms tycoon.

Spain said Monday it had seized the yacht, Valerie, in Barcelona , adding that it was owned by a prominent Russian oligarch. Reuters, citing two sources, later named the oligarch as Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of the Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec and a close ally and former KGB colleague of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian oligarchs and their luxury assets are a focus of Western sanctions on Russia since the country invaded Ukraine last month. Last week, President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address that the US would seize assets from Russian oligarchs, including yachts, apartments, and private jets.

Lopez and Affleck chartered Valerie in the summer, the Daily Mail , Boat International , and other media outlets reported at the time. The couple's vacation became the subject of tabloid fodder, with outlets noting how they seemed to be reproducing imagery from Lopez's 2002 music video for "Jenny from the Block."

Photographs and a video posted by Lopez on her Instagram account in July show her and Affleck aboard a yacht at sea. Features of the yacht seen in these images match those found in promotional pictures for Valerie.

The 85-meter (279-foot) Valerie is listed for sale with Dynamiq , a yacht brokerage, with a price tag of 89 million euros ($98 million). The boat was originally listed with Dynamiq for 120 million euros.

The listing on Dynamiq's website says: "In mint condition with just one owner since delivery and never chartered, Valerie was built by Lürssen in 2011 and underwent an extensive refit in 2019."

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An article posted on Dynamiq's website dated July 15 said Valerie had been made available for charter for the first time, at a rate of 950,000 euros a week.

Lopez and Affleck appear to have used the yacht shortly after that date.

According to Dynamiq's listing, Valerie has a crew of 27, with space for 17 guests in nine "well-appointed" cabins and an additional nursery and staff cabin on the upper and lower decks.

The listing says: "There is no shortage of on-board amenities, from a fully-equipped spa with hammam to the heli-deck and expansive private sundeck with a 6m swimming pool. Moreover, an elevator serves all deck levels with additional waterline guest boarding access on the port side.

It adds: "Lürssen's legendary build quality is evident in every element of Valerie's design. She is a pedigree product and a rare opportunity to acquire one of the most impressive and impeccably maintained superyachts on the market today without waiting years for a new construction."

According to an October report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which was based on the Pandora Papers leaks, Chemezov's stepdaughter Anastasia Ignatova owned Valerie through a British Virgin Islands company.

Spain's prime minister, upon announcing Monday that Valerie had been seized, said the yacht was worth 140 million euros.

In recent weeks, big yachts belonging to Russian billionaires have been seized by France  and  Italy .

Some oligarchs appear to be trying to evade sanctions by sending their yachts and jets to places like  Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the Maldives , which do not have extradition treaties with the US.

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