superyacht the $700m scheherazade

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Scheherazade: The £500m superyacht in Tuscan port ‘linked to Putin’

The stunning Tuscan port of Marina di Carrara has long been the parking spot of choice for the global elite’s superyachts but there is one vessel that stands out leaving all others in its shade.

The Scheherazade, said to be worth $700m (£528m), complete with two helipads a spa and a swimming pool that can transform into a dancefloor, is under investigation by Italian authorities for potential links to sanctioned Russians - with speculation mounting it could belong to President Putin himself.

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky used an address in Italian Parliament on Tuesday to namecheck the Scheherazade and urged politicians to seize the yacht and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russians.

“Don’t be a resort for murderers,” he begged. “Lock all their real estate, accounts and yachts – from the Scheherazade to the smallest ones.”

The Scheherazade contains gold plated toilets and bathroom fittings, a cryotherapy chamber in the spa and six-deck floors - described as being like two apartment blocks stacked on top of each other.

On the upper deck, as former deckhands tol d jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny ’s team, there is a giant living room, dining room, two VIP cabins and a mechanical piano, which plays itself.

The tune is said to be from a famous 2014 song titled ‘Vladimir Putin is a Fine Fellow’.

It flies under the flag of the Cayman Islands, according to the tracking service Marine Traffic , and has been moored in Marina di Carrara since early September after arriving from Montenegro across the Mediterranean.

But even the superyacht ’s British captain Guy Bennett-Pearce’s denials that Putin has anything to do with the luxury vessel, one of the most expensive of its kind in the world, hasn’t dampened down speculation amongst locals and dock workers.

He told The New York Times : “I have never seen him. I have never met him.”

Mr Bennett-Pearce told the publication he could not give further details because of a “watertight” non-disclosure agreement but he insisted the owner was not on any sanctions list.

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The team of jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny said in a video on its YouTube channel on March 21 that all crew members, except the captain, are Russian citizens, and many of them are employed by the Federal Protection Service (FSO), the agency responsible for Putin’s personal security.

According to Navalny’s team, the 140-metre long superyacht was made in Germany in 2020.

According to the New York Times, the yacht travelled to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi twice, once in 2020 and again in 2021. It is known that Putin regularly visits his residence in Sochi.

If the yacht’s connection to Putin is proven, it will be impounded, as Putin is currently under sanctions from the European Union over Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The name Scheherazade is a girl’s name of Arabic origin meaning “noble lineage“.

Scheherazade - or Sheherazade -is also the name of a legendary Persian queen immortalised as the narrator the One Thousand and One Nights stories that include Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.

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Superyacht allegedly linked to Putin blocked from leaving Italian shipyard

Minister says there is evidence that connects the Scheherazade to senior members of the Russian government

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The Italian economy minister has signed an order blocking a superyacht allegedly linked to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin , from leaving port.

In a statement on Friday night, the ministry said that Daniele Franco had signed the decree based on evidence that the owner of the Scheherazade, which has been undergoing a refit at a shipyard in Tuscany since September, has “significant economic and business connections” with “prominent elements of the Russian government and with others subject to EU sanctions”.

The statement did not name the owner of the vessel, but said the ministry had asked the EU to place the individual on to the sanctions list. The yacht has been blocked pending the adoption of further restrictive measures.

The order came amid fears that the vessel, said to be worth $700m (£530m), was about to leave the shipyard in Marina di Carrara.

The Scheherazade has been under investigation since March for potential links to sanctioned Russians, including Putin.

A report in the New York Times said that it had been moved out of dry dock and into the water on Tuesday. The newspaper cited a crew member who said it could leave the port imminently.

A spokesperson for the Italian Sea Group, a company that repairs and builds luxury yachts, told the Guardian that the vessel was scheduled to set sail by the middle of June.

Marianna Ferrante, the company’s marketing director, said: “Maintenance work is progressing and there are no scheduled departures anytime soon.”

The company originally said the €6m refit would be completed in early 2023. The yacht is said to be equipped with a spa, swimming pools, two helipads, a wood-burning fireplace and a pool table designed to tilt so as to reduce the impact of the waves.

Finance police in Marina di Carrara boarded the Scheherazade in early March as EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs kicked in over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They seized ownership documents from the yacht’s British captain, Guy Bennett-Pearce. At the time, US officials said they were also investigating whether the yacht belonged to Putin. Activists working with the jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny have also claimed Putin is the owner.

A source at the finance police said the investigation was “very complex” owing to a web of company names that could be concealing the real owner.

“As you can imagine, after all this time, it’s not been easy [to identify] an owner, because of all the companies in between,” the source said. “There is no more information we can give, and asking if it belongs to Putin is like a lottery.” The source would not confirm whether or not police were preparing to seize the vessel.

An investigation by La Stampa newspaper in March linked the Scheherazade to Eduard Yurievich Khudainatov, the former president of the Russian state oil firm Rosneft, via a shell company registered in the Marshall Islands. Khudainatov is not on the sanctions list.

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International Edition

Untrained crew on $700 million superyacht linked to Vladimir Putin watched instructions on videos: report

• Untrained crew members on the Scheherazade were reportedly following instructions on videos.
• eSysman SuperYachts posted a video on YouTube claiming the crew were Russian secret service members.
• The Scheherazade, linked to Vladimir Putin, has been seized by Italian authorities.

Untrained crew members aboard a superyacht linked to Vladimir Putin had to follow instructions on videos, according to claims made in a new video. 

eSysman Superyachts is a YouTube channel run by a former superyacht crew member who has been posting videos for several years. His videos have been viewed almost 75 million times. 

In a YouTube video published on May 20 , he went to Marina Di Cararra in Italy, where the $700 million Scheherazade linked to the Russian president has been moored for more than six months. Earlier this month it was seized by Italian authorities over its links with "prominent elements of the Russian government".

The 140-metre yacht has six floors, two helipads, a swimming pool, a spa complex, and a beauty salon, according to a YouTube video posted by activists working with the imprisoned Putin opponent Alexei Navalny.

The publisher of eSysman Superyachts said he spoke to someone who worked on the superyacht when it was being built. "When it came out of the shipyard, they had to do handover notes for the other crew." Having two independent crews was "unheard of," he said.

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"When they were on board, they had to make videos of how to launch a tender [support vessel], and how to hang the fenders," adding "they had to make videos in English of the procedures of how to do things and they said that the person who told them to do that would later add Russian subtitles to the videos," eSysman Superyachts said. 

He added: "It also means that if you have to do a step-by-step procedure on a video of how to launch a tender, that means the person that's watching it has never launched a tender."

eSysman Superyachts said "the crew, up until a couple of months ago, were all Russian and they were all part of the FSO, which is the Russian secret service," according to a crew list manifest. 

He asked: "Why would you have Russian security service working on a boat owned by an oil tycoon?"

Insider reported that a Russian billionaire acted as a "straw owner" to hide the true owner of superyachts, including the Scheherazade, worth about $1 billion. 

Amid western sanctions, superyachts belonging to Russian oligarchs have been seized or detained around the world. The US is trying to seize a $325 million superyacht in Fiji that belongs to Suleiman Kerimov.

The  FBI found evidence  aboard the vessel incriminating the owner, who "caused US dollar transactions to be routed through US financial institutions for the support and maintenance of the Amadea." 

Five superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs are now docked in Turkey in a bid to avoid Western sanctions triggered by the invasion of Ukraine, Insider reported earlier this month.

Watch: BILL BROWDER: How sanctions on Russia hurt Putin's closest allies

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$700M Superyacht Belongs to Putin, New Navalny Investigation Claims

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$700m superyacht docked in Italy may belong to Putin, say US officials

459ft vessel currently in italian dry dock for repairs, article bookmarked.

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A $700m superyacht being repaired in an Italian dry dock may belong to Vladimir Putin , according to US intelligence officials.

The ownership of the 459ft Scheherazade has come under close scrutiny since Russia ’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine , and the vessel could be associated with Mr Putin, intelligence officials told The New York Times .

American officials told the newspaper that no final conclusions on ownership have been made, but the link backs up a claim made by a former crew member that it was for Mr Putin’s use.

The officials say that Mr Putin keeps little of his personal wealth in his own name, instead using homes and boats that are held in the name of Russian oligarchs.

Mr Putin spent long periods during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Black Sea city of Sochi, where the Scheherazade made trips in the summers of 2020 and 2021, the officials added.

The Biden administration is investigating ownership of super yachts associated with Russian oligarchs as part of the enormous sanctions levied on Russia.

The yacht is currently undergoing repairs in the Tuscan port of Marina di Carrara.

Guy Bennett-Pearce, the Scheherazade’s captain, has denied that Mr Putin owns the yacht, or has even has put a foot onboard it.

If the US government wanted to seize the yacht out would need the help of the Italian government before it left for Russian waters.

Following US and European Union sanctions against Russia, officials impounded a 213ft yacht owned by Alexei Mordashov in Imperia, Italy and Igor Sechin’s 280-foot yacht in the French port of La Ciotat.

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Under US and most European laws, the frozen assets remain owned by the oligarch but cannot be transferred or sold.

Both men will continue to own their yachts but will be prevented by authorities from moving them to pro-Russian locations.

To seize a yacht government prosecutors would have to prove that the property was part of a crime.

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Ukraine war: Italy orders seizure of yacht worth $700m linked by media to Vladimir Putin

The Italian finance ministry said in a statement that investigations showed the owner of the boat had ties to "prominent elements of the Russian government" and with people targeted by EU sanctions.

Friday 6 May 2022 23:13, UK

The Italian government has ordered the seizure of a luxury yacht worth $700m (£530m) that has been linked in the media to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The six-deck Scheherazade had been undergoing repairs in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara since September, but recent activity at the dockside suggested that the crew might be preparing to put to sea.

It is one of the world's biggest and most expensive yachts allegedly linked to Russian billionaires and has two helicopter landing pads and can host up to 18 guests and 40 crew.

Putin 'may make mistake that could spark revolution' - live updates

The Italian finance ministry said in a statement that investigations showed the owner of the boat had ties to "prominent elements of the Russian government" and with people targeted by European Union sanctions.

The Scheherazade's owner has never been publicly identified, but there have been rumours that it belongs to Mr Putin or a member of his inner circle.

A source with direct knowledge of the investigation into the vessel told Reuters that Italian police believed the owner was Eduard Khudainatov, the former chief of Russian energy giant Rosneft who is not currently a target of EU sanctions.

The finance ministry did not name the owner, but said it had asked the European Union to add the person to the sanctions list and had ordered the yacht to be seized pending a decision.

Read more: Fiji court rules US can seize $325m superyacht believed to be owned by Russian oligarch US seizes mega yacht owned by Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin

In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Italian officials to seize the Scheherazade yacht as well as other assets allegedly linked to Russian oligarchs.

Other countries including the US and authorities in Gibraltar have seized yachts and mega yachts whose owners have links to Mr Putin and Russian oligarchs.

In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some Western countries including the US have focused on seizing yachts and luxury assets owned by Russians.

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So It Appears That $700 Million Superyacht Does Belong To Putin

The crew of the yacht were key pieces to the mysterious puzzle..

Russian oligarchs have been having their yachts seized around the world, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine presses on. One yacht though was able to elude both being impounded and authorities finding out its owner. Until now. Fortune reports that a pair of Russian investigative groups may have confirmed that this mysterious yacht belongs to Vladimir Putin.

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The yacht, called Scheherazade, appeared in the Italian port town of Marina di Carrara. As soon as it docked, it was shrouded in mystery. From the crew erecting a metal barrier on the pier to keep onlookers from seeing it, to a panel over the name on the bow to keep people from identifying it, no one knew who it belonged to. That’s until an investigative group led by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (who was also just sentenced to another nine years in prison on top of the two and a half he’s already serving) did some digging.

The group went the way of finding out who pays the small fries to get to the bigger fish. In this instance, the small fries were the crew of the yacht. The group was able to obtain the entire crew list for the Scheherazade .

It listed everyone from the captain to workers at the port. The list was made in December of 2020 and complied at the same port in Italy that the Scheherazade is docked at. The captain, one Guy Pearce, was recently interviewed by the New York Times . In the interview, he refused to give up the name of the owner of the Scheherazade:

The ship’s captain, Guy Bennett-Pearce, a British national, denied that Mr. Putin owned or had ever been on the yacht. “I have never seen him. I have never met him,” he said. He added, in a phone interview from the yacht, that its owner was not on any sanctions list. He did not rule out that the person could be Russian, but declined to say more about the owner’s identity, citing a “watertight nondisclosure agreement.

Aside from Pearce, who is English, every single person working on the yacht is Russian. That isn’t the only thing they have in common. Using the information from the crew list which had everything from the crew’s birthdates to their visa numbers, the group was able to piece together that over half of the 23 people listed as working on the ship are not only Russian but also members of the FSO or the Federal Protective Service. This service is pretty much Putin’s personal security, or as the group described “the agency that protects Putin and organizes his life.”

The group is now focusing its efforts on the oligarchs that Putin surrounds himself with saying “Figuring out who owns what, and how much of it, is a tall order even for experienced police investigators. We decided to follow the trail.”

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Scheherazade Seized: Italy Seizes Luxury Yacht Worth $700m Linked To Putin

Curated By : News Desk

Last Updated: May 07, 2022, 07:25 IST

U.S. and European authorities have The Nord, which measures 141.6 meters (464.6 feet), has two helipads, a swimming pool and 20 cabins (Image: Gaia Pianigiani/ Representative)

The yacht was docked in Italy's Tuscany where it was undergoing repairs.

Italy has moved to seize a $700m yacht linked to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. The yacht was docked at Italy’s Tuscany where it was undergoing repairs. The yacht, Scheherazade, is being seized under the European Union sanctions imposed on Russia in the wake of the war on Ukraine.

The finance ministry in Rome said that boat owners are tied to ‘prominent elements of the Russian government’, news agency BBC reported. News agency New York Times in a separate report quoting US officials said that the yacht may belong to Putin himself.

Some reports say that the yacht belongs to Eduard Khudainatov, the former chief of Russian energy giant Rosneft. Khudainatov does not come under the ambit of the sanctions imposed by the EU.

It is hard to find out who really owns the yachts which are linked to Russian oligarchs. In most cases, the ownership is shrouded in secrecy as they are registered through a series of offshore companies.

The Scheherazade boasts two helicopter landing pads and a swimming pool inside. It costs up to $140 million.

Before Scheherazade, authorities in Fiji seized the Amadea, a yacht linked to Suleiman Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician who was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department. Kerimov also faced sanctions from Canada, Europe, Britain and other nations after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Amadea which costs $325 million was seized after a judge allowed US officials to seize it.

“There is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate US laws. And there is no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enable the Russian regime,” the US attorney general Merrick Garland said.

The US president Joe Biden authorised another $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine. The funds will be for artillery rounds and radar systems in its fight against Russia. The Biden administration has asked the Congress to bring a law under which the US authorities can confiscate the assets of sanctioned oligarchs and ‘remedy the harm Russia caused … and help build Ukraine’. The House last month passed a bill urging Biden to sell the frozen luxury assets of Russian oligarchs but it is non-binding.

However, current laws only permit freezing, and not selling, foreign property in the course of an ongoing war or international crisis.

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Inside putin’s $700m yacht, complete with gold toilet paper holder.

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This yacht makes a Bond villain’s boat look like a dinghy.

Vladimir Putin, whose forces continue to attack Ukraine , spared no expense on his alleged $700 million superyacht, which comes complete with its own dance floor — and even golden toilet paper holders. Rumors that the boat belonged to him have been swirling since its construction; however, anti-Kremlin activists recently claimed that it is indeed Putin’s .

“It’s like a mini city,” an unnamed worker reportedly involved in its construction told the Sun of the 495-foot luxury vessel, which is moored in Marina di Carrara in Italy. “There are countless swimming pools, a spa, a sauna, a theatre, ballrooms, a gym, two helipads.” 

Known as Scheherazade — after the iconic Persian queen from literature — the opulent watercraft was reportedly estimated at £500 million ($6.6 million), although insider sources price it closer to £750 million ($990 million).

And it appears that Putin put his money where his boat is: Photos obtained by the Sun show the veritable maritime mansion and its six floors of swanky amenities. They include a 16-foot aquarium, multiple televisions — including a 15-foot beast spanning an entire wall — and a self-leveling pool table so that guests can play even when the sea turns turbulent.

There are also bathrooms outfitted with King Midas-evoking gold taps and toilet paper holders, plus a tile dance floor that converts into a pool. Scheherazade is thought to be one of only two ships in the world with that feature, the Sun reported; the other is Putin’s second yacht, Graceful.

Along with standard bling, the Russian president decked out the superyacht with personal touches, including a judo room with framed pictures of black belts, plus various books showcasing the autocrat’s worship of wealth.

“Every surface is either marble or gold,” an unnamed boatbuilder told the Sun of the glitzy vessel, which the worker finds especially obscene in light of current events.

“It is hard to swallow the fact that the most incredible ship in the world is owned by a man intent on bombing civilians in Ukraine,” he continued. “And it is an unimaginable amount of wealth when the average Russian’s salary is £5,000 a year, and people there are struggling to eat.”

The ritzy ship isn’t just built for pleasure cruises. Much like the baddie’s superyacht in the movie “Thunderball,” Scheherazade can supposedly transform from a party boat to a battleship in a flash with a state-of-the-art security system reportedly capable of shooting down drones.

If that wasn’t ostentatious enough, the superyacht-cum-aircraft-carrier also contains two helipads and a hangar than can house a helicopter, six Jet Skis, five dinghies and eight Seabob underwater scooters.

Scheherazade was built over two years ago. However, the vessel’s alleged ties to Putin came to light recently after activists affiliated with jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny claimed that some of the crewmembers worked for the Federal Security Service, which handles the Russian leader’s security.

“To sum up, a dozen of Vladimir Putin’s personal guards and servants are constantly maintaining one of the world’s largest yachts docked in an Italian port,” investigative journalist and Navalny ally Maria Pevchikh wrote on Twitter Monday.

Meanwhile, during a Tuesday address to the Italian parliament, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky implored Italy to confiscate the assets of Putin and his supporters, who he claimed frequently traveled to Italy, the Guardian reported .

“Don’t be a resort for murderers,” he said, urging Italian authorities to seize every yacht “from the Scheherazade to the smallest ones.”

The ship is currently being investigated by authorities for potential ties to sanctioned Russians.

See the full set of image at The Sun

Despite the accusations, the Scheherazade’s British captain, Guy Bennett-Pearce, has denied that Putin has ever owned or even set foot on the vessel.

“I have never seen him. I have never met him,”  he told the New York Times , adding that the vessel’s owner was not on any sanctions list.

Earlier in March, Italian officials seized several superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs, including Alexey Mordashov’s 213-foot vessel , Gennady Timchenko’s 132-foot watercraft and Audrey Melnichenko’s $578 million, 469-foot superyacht.

The seizures are among the latest efforts to hit Putin and those close to him over Russia’s brutal assault against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24. 

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Does Putin own $700m superyacht in Italy? A look inside the luxurious Scheherazade

Scheherazade, one of the world's top 20 largest yachts, is moored off the west coast of Italy and is worth $700 million approximately. Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation posted a YouTube video on Monday, March 21, linking Russian President Vladimir Putin to the six-deck Scheherazade. The superyacht, named after a legendary Persian queen, has been moored in Marina di Carrara, Italy, since September 2020.

"Navalny's researchers say they were able to access a list of Scheherazade's crew members and that they discovered–using phone numbers and credit score data–that several are Russian nationals employed by Russia 's Federal Protective Service, a government agency that provides security to high-ranking Russian officials and state assets. One Scheherazade crew member also previously worked on the 270-foot-long Graceful yacht, which has also been linked to Putin , according to the 15-minute Navalny video," reports Forbes .

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Inside the Scheherazade:

Pictures obtained by The Sun showcase the luxury and opulence of the superyacht. A worker who helped build it told the portal, "Every surface is marble or gold. There are countless swimming pools, a spa, a sauna, a theatre, ballrooms, a gym, and two helipads. It's like a mini-city. There is even a hospital, which makes sense when you hear rumors of Putin being terminally ill. It is hard to swallow the fact that the most incredible ship in the world is owned by a man intent on bombing civilians in Ukraine. And it is an unimaginable amount of wealth when the average Russian's salary is £5,000 a year, and people there are struggling to eat."

EXCLUSIVE: THE sickening luxury enjoyed by Vladimir Putin on board his £500million superyacht is today revealed by The Sun. The dictator, whose forces are bombing women and children in Ukraine, spared no expense on the six-deck Scheherazade. pic.twitter.com/HW6ngjAAHC — Julia Atherley (@julia_atherley) March 22, 2022

The 459-foot-long Scheherazade boasts a spa, beauty salon, swimming pool, dance floor, gym, and two helipads. It is also equipped with a movie theater, a self-leveling pool table, a five-meter aquarium, and the biggest TV on a yacht, stretching 4.5m across an entire wall. The security system of the yacht is capable of shooting down drones and is studded with satellite domes. Built by German ship maker Lurssen in 2020, the bathrooms are adorned with gold toilet roll holders and taps. The interior of the yacht has been designed by Zuretti Yacht Design, according to Super Yacht Fan .

Almost all the crew members are Russian citizens, many employed by the Federal Protection Service (FSO), the agency responsible for Putin’s personal security. The captain is British. The yacht is valued at $700m. — Andrew Neil (@afneil) March 23, 2022

The former crew member further told The Sun, "All over the world yachts owned by oligarchs are being seized but the Scheherazade is sitting there in plain sight in a marina in Italy. It just doesn't seem right." Tom Tugendhat, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the British newspaper, "Putin's pampered nautical palace was launched with cash stolen off the Russian people and now floats off the Italian Riviera, showing us all the action we should take."

The New York Times reported that Italian law enforcement had opened an inquiry into the yacht and had examined some of the ship's certification documents. Captain Bennett-Pearce said he had 'no choice' but to hand over documents revealing the owner's identity to the Italian authorities. "I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that this will clear the vessel of all negative rumors and speculations," he wrote in a message to a reporter of the American daily newspaper.

One thing really stands out when you look at the list. It almost entirely consists of Russians. Russian passports are not the only thing they have in common. They also work for the FSO, The Federal Protective Service of the Russian Federation. pic.twitter.com/H7FtCKle9Q — Maria Pevchikh (@pevchikh) March 21, 2022

To sum up, a dozen of Vladimir Putin’s personal guards and servants are constantly maintaining one of the world’s largest yachts docked in an Italian port. We think that this is a solid enough proof that Scheherazade belongs to Putin himself and must be immediately seized. — Maria Pevchikh (@pevchikh) March 21, 2022

Is This Putin's Superyacht? Mystery $700M Vessel Docked at Italian Shipyard Believed to Have Ties with Russian President

Scheherazade, a $700 million superyacht, is one of the world's largest and most costly superyachts, but its exact ownership has been shrouded in mystery since its introduction in 2020..

• By R. Ghosh March 9, 2022 16:17 +08

Italian authorities are inspecting a mysterious superyacht docked in a northern port and considering seizing it as part of the sanctions against Russia. However, there is also speculation that the mystery superyacht could belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.

Scheherazade, a $700 million superyacht, is one of the world's largest and most costly superyachts, but its exact ownership has been shrouded in mystery since its introduction in 2020. Many believe it to be the mysterious superyacht owned by Putin. However, the ship'scaptain, Guy Bennett-Pearce, a British national, denied that Putin owned or had ever been on the yacht.

Putin's Superyacht?

Italian authorities believe that the superyacht may belong to Putin and is closely scrutinizing it. They are also contemplating seizing it under the sanctions imposed on Russia, just like it did with many of the superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs.

The Scheherazade is currently docked for maintenance at the Italian Sea Group shipyard in Marina di Carrara, Italy, and is safeguarded by precautions that are severe even by superyacht standards, including nameplate covers and a metal barrier erected to partially block the vessel from public view.

The boat includes two helicopter decks and satellite domes, according to the website SuperYachtFan, and is projected to cost around $700 million. A swimming pool with a retractable cover that turns to a dance floor is visible inside, according to images provided by a former crew member. Then there's the fully equipped gym and the bathrooms' gold-plated fittings.

The Scheherazade is unique among the world's largest superyachts (only 14 are longer than 140 meters), in that no potential owner has been publicly named. This has led to speculation that it may be a Middle Eastern millionaire or a well-connected Russian, possibly even Putin, who owns the superyacht.

Many, although, are quite sure that it is owned by Putin. Workers at the shipyard have speculated for more than a year that the ship belonged to Putin himself, according to a source at the yard who spoke to DailyMail.com this week. "All the whispers were it belonged to Putin," the person said.

Conflicting Claims

Most evidences prove it belongs to Putin. The crew of the Scheherazade appears to be Russian, according to the source, and a team of Germans working on the vessel's repairs was recalled by their home office after the EU declared sanctions last week.

On the other hand, Guy Bennett-Pearce, the yacht's British captain, denied that Putin owned the yacht or had ever been aboard it. "I have never seen him. I have never met him," he told the New York Times.

In a phone interview from the yacht, the captain told the newspaper that the yacht's owner was not on any sanctions list. He did not rule out the possibility that the individual is Russian, but cited a "watertight nondisclosure agreement" as a reason for not saying more about the owner's identity.

The captain told the New York Times that Italian investigators had come aboard the ship on Friday and checked some of the ship's certification documents, and that he planned to hand up information revealing the genuine owner on Tuesday, saying he had "no choice."

Authorities across Europe have been racing to find and seize yachts linked to Russian oligarchs targeted in new sanctions for the invasion of Ukraine. The superyacht Amore Vero was seized by French officials last week in the Mediterranean tourist town of La Ciotat.

The 289-foot boat is thought to be owned by Igor Sechin, a Putin loyalist who is the CEO of Russian oil firm Rosneft, which has been sanctioned by the US since Russia took Crimea in 2014.

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