Alex Trelinski
A €140 million superyacht owned by an oligarch friend of Russian leader Vladamir Putin has been seized by authorities in Barcelona.
Another craft has also been impounded in Mallorca.
It’s the first such seizures by Spain since sanctions were imposed against oligarchs in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The yacht taken in Barcelona is called Valerie and is owned by Sergei Chemezov, who runs the Russian state-owned defence firm Rostec.
Valerie had been moored in Barcelona since February 9 and sailed under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The craft is officially registered to Chemezov’s stepdaughter, Anastasia Ignatova via a British Virgin Islands company.
Speaking to La Sexta TV on Monday, Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, said; “Today we have temporarily immobilized a yacht of one of Russia’s most prominent oligarchs, and there will be more to come.”
A second yacht was impounded in Mallorca this Tuesday morning at Port Adriano.
It’s been named as the Lady Anastasia owned by a Russian millionaire who is involved in the weapons manufacturing industry.
The craft’s Ukrainian chief engineer was arrested by the Guardia Civil last month after a failed attempt to flood it in revenge for Russia’s invasion of his homeland.
The first seizure on Monday of the Valerie directly hits Sergei Chemezov who is an old colleague of Putin’s from their days of working together for the KGB.
Chemezov said last week that Russia would emerge victorious from Western sanctions when he addresed Rostec staff.
“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 told workers..
Sanctions against Chemezov first started in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea.
The current measures from the EU and the US also take in his wife, son, and stepdaughter.
READ MORE:
- Spain could seize superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs under sanctions against Ukraine invasion
- Ukrainian sailor arrested for trying to sink luxury yacht owned by Russian arms dealer in Spain’s Mallorca
- Abramovich yacht sets sail from Barcelona to avoid seizure under sanctions against Russian oligarchs
