MADRID — Spain, which has pledged to grab the suspected superyachts of Russian oligarchs focused for sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on Wednesday impounded the third such vessel, one of many world’s largest superyachts, in Spanish territorial waters this week.
The ship was impounded within the Spanish port of Tarragona, pending an inspection to determine its precise possession, Spain’s transport ministry stated in a press release. The ship, known as the Crescent, was registered within the Cayman Islands.
The Spanish authorities have taken related measures in opposition to two different yachts, the Valerie, which was in a upkeep yard in Barcelona, and Girl 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 introduced the seizure of the Valerie on Monday and warned that “there shall be extra.”
The transport ministry stated on Wednesday that if the inspections confirmed that the yachts belonged to individuals on the sanctions checklist drawn up by the European Union, they’d stay absolutely immobilized.
The Valerie is suspected of being not directly owned by Sergei Chemezov, the pinnacle of Rostec, a Russian industrial conglomerate that additionally makes army know-how and gear. The vessel was considered one of 4 Russian-owned superyachts that had not too long ago been present process work at MB92, a shipyard that has helped set up Barcelona as one of many foremost hubs for the extravagant yachts owned by the tremendous rich.
The Crescent, valued by the SuperYachtFan web site at $600 million, seems to be the sister ship of the marginally bigger, barely costlier Scheherazade, a 459-foot superyacht that U.S. officers stated might be related to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
Each had been constructed on the identical German shipyard, Lurssen, the place the Crescent was given the undertaking title “Thunder,” whereas the Scheherazade, put into service about two years later, was known as “Lightning.” Each share the identical inside and exterior designers and have been managed by a Monaco firm, Imperial Yachts, which caters to Russian oligarchs.
The 2 yachts additionally share one other, uncommon attribute: Images of the Crescent taken on March 13 by a former Central Intelligence Company officer, Alex Finley, within the Spanish port the place it was impounded seem to indicate that the Crescent conceals its nameplate whereas in port, identical to the Scheherazade.
Observe info on the Crescent from MarineTraffic, a maritime information supplier, reveals that Crescent spends most of its time within the Mediterranean, cruising between Spain, Italy, France and Montenegro, a well-liked vacation spot for the yachts of Russian oligarchs. The 445-foot lengthy Crescent, one of many 20 largest superyachts, has been on the Tarragona marina since early November.
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Final week Italian police stated they had been investigating the possession of the Scheherazade, which is in dry dock at a port on the Tuscany coast.
The Girl Anastasia, which was impounded on the island of Mallorca, is believed to be owned by Alexander Mikheev, a Russian arms vendor. In late February, the police on Majorca detained a Ukrainian member of the yacht’s crew as a result of he had been planning to sink the vessel, in retaliation for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was launched on bail, pending an investigation.
In early March, the French authorities seized a yacht in a yard in La Ciotat, which they stated was linked to Igor Sechin, the chief govt of the state oil firm Rosneft and a former deputy prime minister of Russia. The French yard is owned by MB92, the Spanish firm that owns the yard in Barcelona.
MB92 stated on the time that it was cooperating with the French authorities and would reply in the end to any potential additional sanctions in opposition to Russians. “We’re constantly monitoring the choices taken by the Spanish authorities, the European Union and the U.S. as they arrive into impact,” the corporate stated.