France said it had seized the ship of the CEO of the oil company Rosneft.
The Russian authorities have confiscated the Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov owned a nearly $ 600 million luxury yacht.
The European Union has put Usmanov on the sanctions list since Russia invaded Ukraine.
According to Forbes, the 156-meter Dilbar was seized in the north port of Hamburg. According to the newspaper, the ship was serviced at the shipyard Blohm + Voss.
Representatives of German customs, Blohm + Voss and Usmanov have not commented on the news agency Reuters.
France seizes another yacht
French Minister for Economic Affairs Bruno Le Maire announced on Twitter on Thursday that French customs authorities have seized the CEO of the Russian oil company Rosneft Igor Sechin a combined Amore Vero yacht in the port of La Ciotat in the south of France.
According to a press release from the French Ministry of Economy, the 88-meter Amore Vero had arrived in La Ciotat in January for repair. On Wednesday, customs found that the ship was preparing to leave the port even though the repairs were not complete. The authorities decided to take over the ship.
– Thanks to the French customs authorities, which monitor the European Union’s sanctions against those close to the Russian government, Le Maire said on Twitter.
Sechin is known as the president of Russia Vladimir Putin as a close ally.
The U.S. has set up a special group called “KleptoCapture” to seize yachts, private jets and luxury real estate from Russian oligarchs, according to AFP.
Record-size pool and twelve suites
Forbes says Usmanov’s Dilbar will feature 12 suites, the largest ever-installed yacht pool, two helicopter landing pads, a sauna, a beauty salon and a gym. Typically, the ship has a crew of 96.
Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Heraštšenko comments on the news in the Telegram messaging service, saying that the yacht confiscated from Usmanov should be sent to Ukraine and turned into a missile cruiser, says The Guardian (switch to another service).
Oligarch Usmanov is one of 26 individuals sanctioned by the EU over the Russian invasion.
He holds holdings in mining and steel companies, as well as media and telecommunications companies, among others. He was also one of the first investors in the social media service Facebook.
On Wednesday, at least five superhunts of Russian billionaires were in the Maldives. The island nation is located in the Indian Ocean and has no extradition treaty with the United States.