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Italian authorities seize one of world’s largest superyachts from oligarch

Sailing Yacht A, owned by Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko, seized in Trieste on Friday evening

• Russia-Ukraine war – latest news

Italian authorities have seized a €530m (£444m) superyacht owned by Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko as part of EU sanctions following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine .

Sy A – short for Sailing Yacht A – was seized on Friday evening in the port of Trieste after being identified by Italian police as belonging to the billionaire owner of EuroChem Group, a major fertiliser producer, and the coal company SUEK.

Video footage reportedly showed police cars with flashing lights approaching the yacht, said to be one of the largest in the world, and boarding it.

EuroChem and SUEK said in statements on Thursday that Melnichenko had resigned as a member of the board in both companies and withdrawn as their beneficiary, effective on Wednesday.

It comes as Roman Abramovich’s superyacht Solaris was pictured arriving in Tivat, Montenegro, on Saturday. The vessel left a port in Barcelona earlier this week as the UK government imposed sanctions on the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea Football Club.

On Thursday, it was tracked off the coast of Sicily after reportedly undergoing repairs earlier in the week in Barcelona, one of a number of apparently hurried sailings of Russian billionaires moving their superyachts to avoid seizure. His other yacht, the more luxurious Eclipse, was on Thursday located to the west of the Canary Islands.

A European Council decision authorising the sanctions against Melnichenko says he was one of 37 business leaders who met with the Russian president after the invasion of Ukraine to talk about the potential economic impact of EU and US sanctions.

Melnichenko, the document states, “belongs to the most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian government”.

It adds: “He is therefore involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine.”

A spokesperson for Melnichenko, Alex Andreev, said the businessman had “no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations”.

“There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list,” Andreev said. “We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.”

Italian authorities have separately seized €143m worth of luxury yachts and villas owned by Russian billionaires in luxury destinations including Lake Como, Sardinia and the Ligurian coast.

Nobiskrug, the manufacturer of Sailing Yacht A, describes the three-mast vessel on its website as “one of the world’s largest and most advanced superyachts” and the “ultimate embodiment of German superyachts built for the 22nd century”. It is almost 143 metres long, the mainmast is 100 metres above the waterline, and the yacht has a gross tonnage of about 12,600.

Other yachts seized by Italian police include Lady M, owned by Alexei Mordashov who, before being blacklisted this week by the EU, was the richest man in Russia. A yacht owned by Gennady Timchenko, another billionaire with close ties to Putin, was also seized.

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Italy seizes Russian billionaire Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A

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Reporting by Emilio Parodi in Bergamo and Stevo Vasiljevic in Tivat Writing by Giselda Vagnoni Editing by Frances Kerry

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Sanktion gegen Russland : Italien beschlagnahmt größte Segelyacht der Welt

• Von Christian Schubert , Rom
• - Aktualisiert am 12.03.2022 - 11:41

Hier liegt die 143 Meter lange Segelyacht A von Andrey Melnichenko noch im Hafen von Monaco. Bild: Reuters

Das Schiff im Wert von 530 Millionen Euro gehört dem russischen Oligarchen Andrey Melnichenko. Gebaut wurde es in Deutschland.

D ie Guardia die Finanza hat auf der Jagd nach Oligarchen-Vermögen am Freitagabend wieder zugeschlagen. Diesmal tauchte die italienische Finanzpolizei im Hafen von Triest auf und beschlagnahmte die Luxusyacht von Andrey Melnichenko. Das 143 Meter lange Schiff namens „A“ hat drei Masten, von denen der höchste mit 100 Metern über der Wasserlinie größer ist als Big Ben oder die amerikanische Freiheitsstatue.

• Folgen Ich folge

Nach Angaben der italienischen Regierung hat die Yacht einen Wert von 530 Millionen Euro. Sie wurde im Rahmen der Sanktionen gegen russische Oligarchen im Zusammenhang mit dem Krieg in der Ukraine konfisziert. Schon vor einer Woche hatte Italien bekannt gegeben, Vermögen im Wert von 143 Millionen Euro aus dem Besitz russischer Oligarchen beschlagnahmt zu haben.

Der fünfzigjährige Melnichenko gilt als ein Konzernlenker, der Wladimir Putin nahesteht. Auf der jüngsten Liste des Magazins „Forbes“ liegt er unter den reichsten Milliardären auf Rang 105 mit einem geschätzten Vermögen von 11,6 Milliarden Dollar. Er ist der Eigentümer des russischen Düngemittelherstellers Eurochem sowie des Kohle-Energieunternehmens Suek (Siberian Coal Energy Company). Seine Karriere fing in der russischen Finanzbranche an, schon als Student soll er im Handel mit Devisen Geld verdient haben. Später stieg er auf die Energie- und Chemieindustrie um, in der seine Unternehmen laut „Forbes“ mehr als 100.000 Mitarbeiter beschäftigen. Seine Firmen haben in den vergangenen 15 Jahren rund 23 Milliarden Dollar investiert, berichtet das amerikanische Magazin.

Aufgefallen ist er auch durch seinen luxuriösen Lebensstil. Zu seiner Hochzeit an der Côte d’Azur im Jahr 2005 mit einer ehemaligen serbischen Popsängerin sollen Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera und Julio Iglesias gesungen haben.

Seine 12.700 Tonnen schwere Segelyacht wurde von der Nobiskrug-Werft in Deutschland gebaut. Das Innere hat der Designer Philippe Starck entworfen, es enthält eine Unterwasser-Lounge mit 4 mal 1,80 Meter großen Scheiben. Das Schiff sei die „ultimative Verkörperung einer Superyacht, kreiert und konstruiert für das 22. Jahrhundert“, heißt es auf der Webseite von Nobiskrug. Ein Hybrid-Diesel-Antrieb und ein hochmodernes Navigationssystem gehören zur Ausstattung.

Quelle: FAZ.NET

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Sanktion gegen Russland: Italien beschlagnahmt größte Segelyacht der Welt

Sanktion gegen Russland

Italien beschlagnahmt größte Segelyacht der Welt

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• International

March 12, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Jessie Yeung , Adam Renton, Tara John , Sana Noor Haq, Adrienne Vogt , Joe Ruiz and Alaa Elassar, CNN

Italy's finance police seize Russian oligarch's mega yacht

From CNN's Nicola Ruotolo and Paul P. Murphy

The Italian finance police seized Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko's mega yacht in Trieste, Italy on Friday evening.

The Guardia di Finanza made the announcement in a statement released on Friday evening. Called "SY A," the yacht was in storage at the Port of Trieste, the statement said.

It's worth approximately 530 million euros ($578 million), the statement added. It is one of the largest superyachts in the world, according to the manufacturer Nobiskrug .

Video published by the finance police shows agents boarding the yacht.

Melnichenko was sanctioned by the European Union on March 9 as part of expanded sanctions on Russian oligarchs. According to the EU, he owns the major fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and SUEK, a coal company. 

In the  EU's Council decision , which authorized sanctions against Melnichenko, they noted he and 36 other business leaders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the invasion into Ukraine to discuss the potential economic impact of EU and American sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine," the EU Council decision reads. 

"It also shows that he is one of the leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the government of Russia, which is responsible for annexation of Crimea and ​destabilization of Ukraine."

On Saturday, Melnichenko spokesman Alex Andreev told CNN that the Russian oligarch removed himself from the board of both Eurochem and SUEK (companies he founded) after the EU sanctioned him. Andreev also said that Melnichenko was also no longer the “beneficiary” of the companies, in a statement to CNN.

When asked by CNN if Melnichenko had any comment on the situation in Ukraine, Andreev declined to provide additional comment and instead pointed towards his initial emailed statement to CNN.

“Andrey Melnichenko is an international self-made entrepreneur. He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations,” Andreev said in that statement. “There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list. We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.”

The news comes as numerous Russian elites have been scrambling to move and sell assets amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine .

Just days after Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich announced that he would sell the football club, the UK added the 55-year-old to its list of sanctioned individuals as part of its efforts to "isolate" Putin.

On March 3, France's finance ministry announced the country had seized a yacht owned by  Russian oligarch  and CEO of  Russian oil giant Rosneft Igor Sechin.

The European Union had sanctioned Sechin earlier that week, describing him as one of Putin's "most trusted and closest advisors, as well as his personal friend."

CNN's Kara Scannell, Jessica Schneider, Amy Woodyatt and Niamh Kennedy contributed reporting to this post.

Zelensky demands immediate release of detained Melitopol mayor

From CNN’s Eleanor Pickston in London

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the immediate release of Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the city of Melitopol who was arrested by armed men on Friday.

In a video address Saturday, Zelensky said: “Yesterday the occupiers abducted the mayor of Melitopol, the public demands his release."

Shortly after Fedorov's detention, the Russian-backed Luhansk regional prosecutor claimed that the mayor had committed terrorism offenses and was under investigation.

Melitopol is currently under Russian military occupation . 

Zelensky said he had spoken to the leaders of France, Germany, Israel about securing mayor Fedorov’s release. 

Earlier on Saturday, hundreds of people protested outside Melitopol's city hall, demanding his release, according to Ukrainian state TV video.

Vladimir Putin: The world of sport has shunned the Russian President. So what?

From CNN's Amy Woodyatt

As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine , a plethora of international sports organizations and governing bodies have also responded by targeting Russia and its athletes with  sanctions  of varying severity, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been stripped of multiple honorary sporting titles.

Notably  Russian and Belarusian athletes  were not allowed to compete at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also announced that it had withdrawn the Olympic Order -- the highest award of the Olympic movement -- from Putin.

Meanwhile, world football's governing body, FIFA, and European soccer body, UEFA, have  suspended  all Russian international and club teams from their competitions "until further notice."

"Vladimir Putin has been passionate about both sports and using sport to project Russia's importance on the world stage and giving back to the Russian people a sense of pride in their success on the world stage," Michael Payne, former head of marketing at the IOC, told CNN.

Payne added that the most immediate impact of sanctions could be to challenge the Kremlin's narrative on the conflict.

"Sanctions may cause ordinary Russians to ask why can't they see their Russian athletes performing? And clearly, then there's prompting the Russian people to say 'What's going on?'" Payne added.

​"Will Putin care about having to give his Olympic gold order back or what the rest of the international world thinks of him? Probably not.

"Will he care about what all the local Russians are saying, 'Hang on, what is going on?' Absolutely."

Read more here:

The world of sport has shunned Putin. So what?

Russia ready to resume security talks with us, says state media.

From CNN's Lindsay Isaac

Russia said Saturday it was ready to work again with the United States on security issues and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

"If the Americans are ready for this, we will, of course, be able to resume dialogue and are determined to do so, as well as to work on the START, where there is also a certain pause,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Channel One, state media RIA Novosti reported.

“It all depends on Washington," he added.

According to Ryabkov, Russia did not stop dialogue with the US. "We have not withdrawn from the US strategic stability dialogue. It has been suspended by Washington, apparently under the illusion that we need this dialogue more than Washington. Absolutely not," Ryabkov said.

Ryabkov added that Russia has prepared a list of retaliatory personal sanctions against the US and the West that will be made public soon.

Some background: The landmark treaty  was first signed for a period of 10 years  by former US President Barack Obama and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010. It took effect on February 5, 2011.

START limits the number of strategic offensive weapons both countries can have. The treaty limits each side to no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and heavy bombers; no more than 1,550 warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs and heavy bombers for nuclear armaments; and a total of 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers.

It’s 3 p.m in Kyiv: Here’s what you need to know

Russian forces are moving closer to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and stepping up their assault on other key cities on day 17 of their unprovoked invasion of the country. Here are the latest developments:

Noose tightens on Kyiv: CNN teams in Kyiv reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Saturday, as the capital comes under pressure. The bulk of Russian ground forces are about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from Kyiv's center, according to British defense officials. Russian strikes continue to hit civilian structures: A landmark hotel in the northern city of Chernihiv was reduced to rubble overnight as well as the local electricity network.

Attack on key cities: CNN journalists in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro felt at least two explosions and saw what looked like the remnants of anti-aircraft fire early Saturday. The cities of Kharkhiv, Mariupol, Mykolaiv and Sumy are also under a sustained Russian onslaught. This comes as Russian forces expanded their offensive to the  west of Ukraine for the first time  on Friday, with strikes targeting military airfields, including one in Vasylkiv, south of Kyiv, on Saturday. To the east, there's growing evidence that the town of  Volnovakha has fallen  to Russian forces and their allies in the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic. The southern city of Kherson appears to have been captured, according to US defense intelligence.

Anger mounts over mayor's arrest : Several hundred protesters swarmed the city hall in the southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday after the arrest of its mayor Ivan Fedorov by Russian forces the day before. The Russian-backed Luhansk regional prosecutor claimed he had committed terrorism offenses but Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky called Fedorov's detention a "crime against democracy."

Chernobyl power:  Technicians are working to repair damaged power lines to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, according to the UN's nuclear watchdog. Ukrainian authorities said the lines were entirely cut this week due to Russian shelling. The plant, which has been relying on diesel generators for backup power since Wednesday, is under Russian control with more than 200 staff effectively living and working there under difficult conditions.

Biden's warning:  US President Joe Biden warned Friday that Russia would pay a "severe price" if it uses chemical weapons, but reiterated the US will not send ground troops to Ukraine. "We will not fight the third world war in Ukraine," Biden said — adding the US would help provide weapons, money and food aid for the country instead.

The human toll:  At least 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine, the UN said Friday. The UN recorded 1,546 civilian casualties in Ukraine as of Friday, including 564 killed and 982 injured — though they estimate the real number is much higher.

Dogs of war: the pets left behind by Russia's invasion of Ukraine

From CNN's Sara Sidner and Anna-Maja Rappard

A dehydrated German shepherd stands on Jakub Kotowicz's operation table, her tumor protruding from one of her mammary glands.

Named Moon by the staff at the ADA foundation -- a no-kill animal shelter in Przemysl, Poland, just 30 minutes from the border with Ukraine -- she's one of the many animals that have been displaced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine .

"We have to remove this tumor so she will need to have surgery," Dr. Kotowicz says as he pets Moon's head. "I hate to see them suffering like this."

In recent days, ADA Foundation staff members have been risking their lives driving into Ukraine to help empty out shelters, where animals are in danger of being abandoned and then starving to death as war surrounds them.

Dogs of war: the conflict in Ukraine is displacing pets as well as people | CNN

Russian strikes around kyiv wipe out hotel and electricity in chernihiv, an airport in vasylkiv.

From Tim Lister in Kyiv and Olga Voitovych 

Russian missile and air strikes caused damage to the north and south of the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Saturday, according to local officials.

In Chernihiv, some 100 kilometers north of Kyiv, the hotel Ukraine -- a landmark in the city -- was hit overnight.

"I am here now. There is no hotel anymore," Vyacheslav Chaus, head of Chernihiv region administration, said Saturday.

Chernihiv has been surrounded by Russian forces for more than a week and video from the city shows widespread damage from missiles and airstrikes.

Chaus added that the city has "no electricity, almost no water, gas, and heat," and while efforts to restore electricity on Friday were successful "the enemy hit an electricity network again."

Social media video from Vasylkiv, south of Kyiv, showed a fuel dump on fire after a strike in the early hours of Saturday, and the military airfield there appears to have been heavily damaged. 

Nataliia Balasynovych, the town's mayor, said on Facebook: "Today at about 7 a.m. enemy forces shelled the city of Vasylkiv. Eight missiles hit, shelled the airport. As a result of the missile strikes, the airport was completely destroyed, the runway was destroyed."

She added that an "ammunition depot also detonated. Ammunition is still detonating because one of the missiles hit the ammunition depot. The warehouse with fuels and lubricants was also destroyed. As a result, the capacity of our airport has been completely eliminated."

The Russian Ministry of Defense had said earlier that a high-precision long-range weapon struck the military airfield in Vasylkiv.

Pregnant woman who survived the Mariupol maternity hospital bombing gives birth

From CNN's Gianluca Mezzofiore in London

A pregnant woman, whose rescue from the Mariupol maternity hospital this week was captured in a viral AP photo, has given birth to a baby girl, her family confirmed to CNN. 

Mariana Vishegirskaya was among a number of women at the Mariupol maternity hospital who survived the shelling.

She delivered her baby in another hospital on Thursday, her aunt Tatiana Liubchenko said. “According to our conversations this [Friday] morning, Marianna was doing well and they named her daughter Veronica," Liubchenko said. 

Vishegirskaya's aunt worries about the deteriorating conditions in the besieged city of Mariupol. "But we got the information that the water and food of the people there are running out and we are very worried, because the green corridor is not opened and the Russians do not allow, the food does not come. And it's so cold there right now so they can't get warm. I think she gave birth in hospital number 2 in Mariupol,” Liubchenko added.  

The family tried to call Vishegirskaya back throughout the day, but their efforts were unsuccessful. 

More evacuation corridors from Ukrainian cities to open Saturday, officials say

From Wayne Chang in Hong Kong, Yulia Sevchenko in Atlanta and Josh Pennington in Columbus, Ohio

At least 13 evacuation corridors from different Ukrainian cities, including the besieged eastern city of Mariupol , will be open on Saturday for civilians, said Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

“Today, a convoy with humanitarian cargo and buses for the evacuation of people (...) is departing from the city of Zaporizhzhia to the city of Mariupol, Donetsk Region, through the following populated localities: Zaporizhzhia, Melitopol, Vasylivka, Berdyansk, Mangush, Mariupol, with mandatory mine sweeping along the entire route,” Vereshchuk said Saturday in a video message.

“I very much hope that today will be a success, all the planned routes will be open and Russia will adhere to the ceasefire obligations it took on,” Vereshchuk added.

In a separate interview with Ukrainian state TV Saturday morning local time, Interior Ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said he “hopes” the corridors “that were supposed to open yesterday will open today,” including the one for Mariupol.

This would be the sixth attempt to establish a route from Mariupol, as previous efforts to evacuate residents have largely failed . 

Ukrainian authorities reported limited success in securing the evacuation of Ukrainian civilians from the other worst-affected areas Friday.

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The $578 million megayacht owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italy

• Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko's yacht was seized Friday, Italian authorities said.
• Sailing Yacht A is the world's largest sailing yacht at around 469 feet long and has eight decks.
• Melnichenko was sanctioned by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A megayacht belonging to Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italian authorities on Friday, CNN reported.

A statement from Italy's finance police said the yacht, known as SY A or Sailing Yacht A, was worth around 530 million euros, or $578 million, according to CNN. It also said the yacht was currently in storage in Trieste, Italy. Maritime tracking data viewed by Insider confirmed the location of the yacht in the Adriatic Sea.

Melnichenko is one of the billionaire oligarchs sanctioned by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Melnichenko, who is worth $11 billion according to Forbes, founded fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and coal energy company SUEK.

Related stories

In announcing its decision, the EU council said Melnichenko "belongs to the most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian Government." It also said he was among a group of 37 businesspeople who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials on February 24 to discuss the impact of potential sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine," the EU said, adding it also showed he is "providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of Russia."

In a statement provided to Insider, a spokesperson for Melnichenko denied the EU's accusations about his connections to the war in Ukraine.

"Andrey Melnichenko is an international self-made entrepreneur. He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations. To draw a parallel between attending a meeting through membership in a business council, just as dozens of businesspeople from both Russia and Europe have done in the past, and undermining or threatening a country is absurd and nonsensical," the statement said.

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list. We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail," the statement continued.

The spokesperson also noted Melnichenko resigned as a member of the board and main beneficiary of both EuroChem Group  and SUEK this week, as the companies announced in separate statements on Thursday. He also said both companies are privately owned and not affiliated with any government, and that EuroChem Group is based in Switzerland.

Sailing Yacht A is the worlds largest sailing yacht at around 469 feet long, according to SuperYachtFan.com . It has 300-foot masts, eight decks, a swimming pool, and an underwater observation pod. It's one of several megayachts owned by Russian oligarchs that are subject to sanctions.

Some Russian oligarchs and billionaires have tried to escape sanctions by transporting their luxury yachts to places like Dubai, which has not enacted sanctions, and the Maldives, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.

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Italy Seizes Russian Oligarch Melnichenko's $578 Million Yacht

Italian police have seized a superyacht from Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, the prime minister's office said on Saturday, a few days after the businessman was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The 143-meter Sailing Yacht A , which has a price tag of $578 million, has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, the government said.

Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht, the government said.

Melnichenko owns major fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and coal company SUEK.

Last week Italian police seized villas and yachts worth $156 million from five high-profile Russians who have been placed on the sanctions list.

The police operations were part of a coordinated drive by Western states to penalize wealthy Russians linked to President Vladimir Putin.

Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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Italian Police Seize Russian Oligarch Andrey Melnichenko’s 468-Foot ‘Sailing Yacht A’

The list keeps growing with the impoundment of "sailing yacht a" and suspicion that "scheherazade" might be connected to vladimir putin., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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Italy’s finance police seized one of the world’s most iconic sailing yachts, owned by a Russian oligarch. Andrey Melnichenko’s Sailing Yacht A , with an estimated value of $578 million, was impounded in dry dock at the Port of Trieste, according to a statement from the Guardia di Finanzia. Melninchenko was sanctioned by the European Union on March 9 as part of a group of Russian oligarchs who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin following its Ukraine invasion to discuss the potential economic impact of EU and American sanctions.

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Melnichenko owns the major fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and SUEK, a coal company. He also owns the 390-foot Motor Yacht A. A spokesperson said in a statement that Melnichenko has nothing to do with politics and that he has removed himself from the board of Eurochem and SUEK after the EU sanctioned him. “He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations,” said the statement.

US intelligence officials have also said they are trying to link the Scheherazade , a $700 million superyacht in dry dock in Italy, to Putin. The New York Times reported that the US government has made no definite conclusions about the yacht’s ownership, but believe it could be owned by the Russian president. The yacht’s captain, Guy Bennett-Pearce, told the Times that Putin had no stake in the yacht, but declined to name the owner. Bennett-Pearce said he would provide Italian police with documents that divulged the owner’s name. The Italian Sea Group, which owns the shipyard where Scheherazade is dry docked, said that, based on “checks carried out by relevant authorities,” the yacht is “not attributable to the property of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Roman Abramovich, who owns Solaris. last week was placed on the UK sanctions list.  Courtesy of Lloyd Werft

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich was also added to the UK sanctions list days after he announced the sale of the football club. Abramovich, who owns a string of supercars and several private jets, also owns the superyachts Solaris and Eclipse. Solaris is reportedly sailing towards Israel, where Abramovich has dual citizenship.

On March 3, France’s finance ministry said that it had impounded Amore Vero , a yacht owned by Igor Sechin, CEO of Russian oil giant Rosneft. The EU had sanctioned Sechin earlier that week, calling him one of Putin’s “most trusted and closest advisors, as well as his personal friend.” German authorities also detained the 512-foot superyacht Dilbar in Hamburg, owned by Alisher Usmanov. Reports said the crew was fired last week. On March 5, Italian authorities impounded two yachts, Lena and Lady M , owned by Gennady Timchenko and Alexei Mordashov, respectively.

On Friday, the US State Department placed Viktor Vekselberg on its sanctions list. Two of Vekeselberg’s luxury assets, an Airbus A319-115 jet and his yacht Tango , were identified as “blocked property.”

The superyacht Scheherazade was impounded in Italy during an investigation to uncover whether it is owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Video Still/YT

The seizures have prompted the superyacht industry to distance itself from the oligarchs. Italian yacht builders Sanlorenzo and Azimut both released statements that they have limited exposure to Russian clients, and none are on the sanctions list. Heesen Yachts released a statement that two Russians sitting on its supervisory board of directors have resigned their positions. The builder said Heesen is 100-percent Dutch-owned company and that Pavel Sukhoruchkin and Pavel Novoselov had nothing to do with its day-to-day operations.

Ownership of many Russian yachts is often hidden by shell companies in tax havens like the Cayman Islands. They are not only hard to trace, but actually seizing and selling them could present a legal quagmire that could take years to resolve.

Some are wondering whether seizing the oligarchs’ private yachts and jets will work. “Sanctions are another example of the West doing what it does best, which is just throwing a lot of cash at the problem and hoping it gets solved,” Olga Chyzh, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, told the Washington Post. “However sad they are to let go of their Western assets, oligarchs have even more to lose if Putin is no longer there to protect them.”

Eclipse is another yacht owned by Roman Abramovich.  Robb Report File

In the meantime, some oligarchs are taking their yachts to destinations like the Maldives , the Seychelles and Dubai, which have no extradition treaties with the US and EU. Dubai has become a favorite destination for Russian tourism and wealth.

Alex Finley, a former CIA officer, has been tracking the yachts from Barcelona. Using the hashtag “Yacht Watch,” she posts updates on Twitter for Russian-owned superyachts.

“For me, the yachts are a big, easily recognizable symbol of the more serious side of this [Russian invasion]: These are people who support a dictator, and have been supporting him in carrying out destabilization operations against democracy, while at the same time coming here and taking all the benefits of the exact same democracies they were destabilizing,” Finley told the Washington Post.

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Ukraine war: £443m superyacht owned by oligarch Andrey Melnichenko seized in Italy as part of sanctions

The vessel, the biggest sailing yacht in the world, is owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, who made a fortune in fertiliser production and coal.

News reporter

Sunday 13 March 2022 01:14, UK

A Russian-owned superyacht valued at £443m has been confiscated by Italian police in the port of Trieste as part of a global crackdown on wealthy oligarchs.

The Sy A yacht is owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, 50, who made a fortune in fertiliser production and coal.

The vessel was seized on Friday evening.

Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht at 143m in length.

Read more: Russia says Western arms shipments now 'legitimate military targets' - follow latest updates on Ukraine war

Footage shows police cars approaching the triple-masted yacht and officers boarding it.

Italian authorities last week seized £120m in luxury yachts and villas belonging to Russian billionaires in picturesque retreats such as Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como as part of sanctions against oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin.

A statement from the Official Journal of the European Union described Melnichenko as belonging to the "most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian Government".

It added: "On 24 February 2022, in the aftermath of the initial stages of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, along with other 36 businesspeople, met with President Vladimir Putin and other members of the Russian government to discuss the impact of the course of action in the wake of Western sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine."

A spokesperson for Melnichenko said the businessman had "no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine and has no political affiliations".

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list.

"We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail."

A number of oligarchs have sought to move their superyachts to safe locations to avoid confiscation.

Roman Abramovich's superyacht Solaris has been spotted in the small Adriatic Sea state of Montenegro.

The 533ft Solaris was seen on Saturday outside the Porto Montenegro marina in the coastal town of Tivat after arriving from Barcelona.

There was no immediate comment from the Montenegrin authorities on the arrival of the £460m vessel.

The NATO country has joined Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

It comes after Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government .

The Chelsea Football Club owner is one of seven more Russian oligarchs who have had sanctions placed on them by ministers in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A government document announcing the move said that Abramovich has had a "close relationship for decades" with Putin.

The UK is the first nation to sanction Abramovich, who has been described by the government as a "pro-Kremlin oligarch".

The government has now sanctioned more than 200 individuals and entities.

Related Topics

• International

March 11, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Aditi Sangal , Adrienne Vogt , Meg Wagner , Melissa Macaya, Julia Hollingsworth , Jessie Yeung , Adam Renton, Jeevan Ravindran and Jason Kurtz, CNN

Italy seizes $578 million mega yacht owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko

From CNN's Nicola Ruotolo and Paul P. Murphy

Italian authorities seized Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko's mega yacht on Friday, according to a statement from Italy's finance police.

The statement said the vessel — called "SY A" — is worth about 530 million euros ($578 million) and was in storage at the northeastern port of Trieste.

It's one of the largest superyachts in the world, according to its manufacturer,  Nobiskrug .

The sanctions: Melnichenko was sanctioned by the European Union on March 9 as part of expanded punitive measures against Russian oligarchs. According to the EU, he owns the major fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and the coal company SUEK.

The EU council decision , which authorized sanctions against Melnichenko, noted he and 36 other business leaders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the invasion of Ukraine began to discuss the potential economic impact of EU and US sanctions. 

The EU council decision reads: "The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine. "It also shows that he is one of the leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the government of Russia, which is responsible for annexation of Crimea and ​destabilization of Ukraine."

On Saturday, Melnichenko spokesman Alex Andreev told CNN that the Russian oligarch removed himself from the board of both Eurochem and SUEK (companies he founded) after the EU sanctioned him. Andreev also said that Melnichenko was also no longer the “beneficiary” of the companies, in a statement to CNN.

When asked by CNN if Melnichenko had any comment on the situation in Ukraine, Andreev declined to provide additional comment and instead pointed towards his initial emailed statement to CNN.

“Andrey Melnichenko is an international self-made entrepreneur. He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations,” Andreev said in that statement. “There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list. We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.”

Zelensky calls detention of Melitopol mayor a "crime against democracy"

From CNN's Jennifer Hauser

The detention of the mayor of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol is a "crime against democracy," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday in a video posted on Facebook.

Earlier Friday, Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov was seen on video being led away from a government building in the city by armed men. A short time later, the Russian-backed Luhansk regional prosecutor claimed Fedorov had committed terrorism offenses and was under investigation. 

Fedorov's detention was "a sign of the weakness of the invaders," Zelensky said.

"They did not find any support on our land, although they counted on it. Because for years they've been lying to themselves that people in Ukraine were supposedly waiting for Russia to come.  "This is Ukraine here. It is Europe here. It is a democratic world here."

Zelensky added that the mayor's detention was "not only against a particular person, not only against a particular community and not only against Ukraine."

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the detention of Fedorov a "war crime," saying the Geneva Convention prohibits civilian hostages from being taken.

Damaged power lines to Chernobyl nuclear plant are being repaired, UN watchdog says

From CNN’s Taylor Barnes

Technicians began working on Thursday to repair damaged power lines serving the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, according to the United Nations' nuclear watchdog.

The lines were entirely cut earlier this week, with the last one “destroyed as a result of the occupant’s shelling” on Wednesday, Ukraine's energy minister said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said diesel generators have been providing backup power to the site since Wednesday, and additional fuel supplies have been delivered to the Russian-controlled facility.

Some context: Russian troops overran the Chernobyl plant — the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster — on the first day of the invasion on Feb. 24, with staff still inside.

Some 211 technical personnel and guards at the site have in effect been living at the facility and in "increasingly difficult conditions" with potentially dwindling food supplies, the IAEA said.

The Ukrainian regulator told the IAEA it lost communication with the plant on Thursday, though it has continued to receive updates about the situation from senior off-site management.

Other nuclear facilities: The agency also gave updates about two other nuclear facilities in Ukraine. The power situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is “unchanged,” with two of four power lines damaged, the IAEA said, adding that one power line could provide the plant’s off-site power needs and diesel generators for back-up power are ready and available. 

In Kharkiv, a nuclear facility for research and development and radioisotope production for medical and industrial applications suffered “additional damage” after facing shelling earlier this week.

However, the IAEA said the nuclear material at that site is subcritical and the inventory of radioactive material is low, and the agency assessed the damage would not lead to radiological consequences.

Here's a look back at the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in pictures:

Photos: The Chernobyl disaster

No diplomatic off-ramp in sight for russia's war in ukraine.

From CNN's Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler and Jeremy Herb

With  Russia's war in Ukraine  now in its third week, US and European officials have little optimism that diplomatic channels can deliver a way out of the conflict at this point.

Talks between Ukraine's and Russia's diplomats this week yielded no discernible progress. Supposedly safe  evacuation routes out of the country have repeatedly been contested. The civilian death toll continues to rise, and by the end of the week both sides were trading accusations over the use of chemical weapons .

While Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday there had been "certain positive advances" in negotiations with Ukraine, US and European officials and diplomats who spoke to CNN all expressed deep skepticism about the state of talks. None felt Putin's actions to date have suggested the Russian leader is ready to find a diplomatic off-ramp to end the war.

Impact of sanctions: The US and its allies have enacted  crippling sanctions on Russia  in response to its invasion of Ukraine, and US President Joe Biden has kept in touch with European leaders as well as  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky . But US officials have privately acknowledged they don't believe any of these sanctions are going to change Putin's thinking, and many don't believe Russia's losses in Ukraine will either.

The Biden administration is resisting putting its weight behind any single player involved in early efforts to broker a solution to end the Ukraine crisis. US officials say they have yet to see any tangible progress in any channel and continue to view Ukraine and Russia as the only essential players in driving a solution.

"A variety of different countries can try to shape things as they would like, but at the end of the day, this will likely boil down to what President Zelensky is willing to accept and what President Putin is willing to accept," said a senior State Department official.

Read the full story:

No diplomatic off-ramp in sight for Russia's war in Ukraine | CNN Politics

Explosions heard near kyiv as russian troops press closer to ukraine's capital.

CNN teams in Kyiv reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Saturday morning, with chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward describing "a nonstop volley ... of just heavy booms in the distance," continuing for several minutes.

It's not clear whether the explosions were Russian or Ukrainian strikes, she said.

Fighting is continuing on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, with the city's administration saying areas to the north remain the most dangerous, including the suburbs of Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel, as well as the district of Vyshorod further north of Kyiv. Fighting has also escalated in Brovary, across the Dnieper River, east of the city.

As Russian forces press in from several directions, "the worry becomes ... that the intention is to fully surround the city, to starve the city, to bombard the city and then ultimately to try to overthrow (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky's government," Ward said. 

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told CNN the city currently only has resources — including food and medical supplies — for one to two weeks.

CNN's Ward added that "Ukrainian forces are everywhere" in Kyiv. "They have dug up defensive positions along all the main thoroughfares leading into the city, they've put tank traps around. This is a heavily fortified city now. And even if Russian forces are enable to encircle it, it will still be an almighty battle for them to get to the heart of it."

UK Defense Ministry: Russian airstrikes have targeted cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk

From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite in London

Russian air and missile forces have conducted strikes against the western Ukrainian cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk in the past 24 hours, the UK Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence update on Friday.

The ministry added that Russian tactical aircraft supporting ground forces are relying on "unguided 'dumb' munitions," which are "relatively inaccurate and indiscriminate and their use significantly increases the likelihood of civilian casualties."

Biden detailed new measures to punish Russia in a 49-minute phone call with Zelensky

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins

Prior to his address on Friday, US President Joe Biden spent 49 minutes on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, detailing the new measures he was going to announce regarding US trade with Russia, two officials familiar with the call tell CNN. 

While most of Biden and Zelensky's calls since the invasion have hovered in the 30- to 40-minute range, this was one was a bit longer as Biden highlighted how the US was moving to suspend normal trade relations with Russia in another effort to punish the Kremlin.

Zelensky tweeted that he gave Biden an "assessment of the situation on the battlefield, informed about the crimes of Russia against the civilian population" and they agreed on "further steps to support the defense of Ukraine and increase sanctions against Russia."

Independent US agency calls on Biden administration to push for Russia's expulsion from Interpol

From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez

An independent US government agency is calling on the Biden administration to push for Russia to be permanently expelled from Interpol — a step further than the suspension the administration has already sought — citing the invasion of Ukraine and previous abuses by Russia, according to a letter obtained by CNN.

Earlier this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland joined justice ministers from several allied countries to demand that Interpol immediately suspend Russia from accessing its systems, according to Justice Department spokesperson Anthony Coley.  

Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, is a global agency which facilitates police across its 195 member countries to collaborate on criminal investigations. Interpol issues what are known as Red Notices to request the location and arrest of an individual pending their extradition.

Friday’s letter from the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe commended the steps the US has taken so far, but added that the administration should call for the permanent suspension of Russia.

“We urge you to use the U.S. position in Interpol (and in particular Interpol's Executive Committee and its Advisory Group on Financial Matters) to make it clear that any failure to act against Russia's abuse of lnterpol will have grave consequences for the U.S. contribution to Interpol's budget and Interpol's legal immunities in the United States,” the letter, directed to Garland and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, reads.

The commission — also known as the US Helsinki Commission — was created by Congress in 1976   with a focus on human rights, military security, and economic cooperation. It is led by Sen. Ben Cardin and Rep. Steve Cohen.

If Russia is suspended from Interpol, it would bar the country from continuing to participate and therefore put in requests for Red Notices, but it would not remove Red Notices that are already in the system, said Ted Bromund, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and an expert in Interpol.

Core part of Kharkiv nuclear lab not damaged following shelling, institute director says

From CNN’s Philip Wang

The core part of a nuclear research facility in Kharkiv has not been damaged following a relentless round of shelling, the head of the science institute said on Friday in an interview with Reuters.

The outside of the institute has been hit with “major destruction” by several shells launched from the Russian side, said Mykola Shulga, general of the National Science Center Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology.

The facility is currently in working condition and safe, Shugla said, adding a warning that if the nuclear fuel tank were to become physically damaged, it could leak radioactive elements and severely harm the environment. 

"The facility, in working condition, doesn't present any danger whatsoever. However, if there is physical damage, nuclear fuel leak is possible, [with] radioactive elements escaping outside. This obviously would be a huge, huge problem for the environment. In other words, what would happen would be comparable to a similar situation at any nuclear power station," Shugla told Reuters.

There are 37 nuclear fuel cells that have been loaded into the core facility, according to Shulga. The institute was about to start working on the industrial utilization of the reactor.

This comes as CNN reported on Thursday that emergency services in Kharkiv were tackling a fire near the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology.

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Watch Police Seize $578 Million Superyacht Linked To Russian Billionaire

MILAN — Italian financial police has seized a Russian-owned superyacht valued at $578 million in the port of Trieste as part of seizures of oligarch wealth to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the war on Ukraine.

The “Sy A” yacht was identified by Italian police as belonging to billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, who made a fortune in fertilizer production and coal energy. It was seized Friday evening.

Italy’s financial police ( @GDF ) has just frozen “SY A” - a sailing yacht worth ~€530m located in the Port of Trieste. The yacht could be linked indirectly to Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko - an individual in the EU sanctions list. pic.twitter.com/fRg6ZTIQRH — Ferdinando Giugliano (@FerdiGiugliano) March 12, 2022

Video shows police in cars with flashing lights approaching the triple-mast yacht and officers boarding it.

Italian authorities last week seized some 143 million euros ($156 million) in luxury yachts and villas belonging to Russian billionaires in such picturesque retreats as Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como.

Sanzioni contro la Russia: A Trieste, nel rimessaggio del porto, è stato sequestrato dalla Guardia di Finanza lo yacht a vela più grande del mondo, del valore di 530 milioni di euro. Lo "SY A" è riconducibile all'imprenditore russo Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko. pic.twitter.com/xj0V728Qsa — Tg La7 (@TgLa7) March 11, 2022

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Sequestrato a Trieste lo yacht a vela dell'oligarca russo Melnichenko. VIDEO

Con 143 metri di lunghezza per 25 di larghezza il “Sailing Yacht y A” è l'imbarcazione a vela più grande al mondo e fra quelle più costose mai realizzate. Varata nel 2015, è ufficialmente registrata presso una società delle Bermuda ma la sua proprietà è riconducibile indirettamente al magnate russo colpito dalle sanzioni europee

Cinquecentotrenta milioni di euro. Tanto vale l’imbarcazione riconducibile all’imprenditore russo Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko sottoposta da ieri sera a provvedimento di ”congelamento amministrativo” nel porto di Trieste. 143 metri di lunghezza per 25 di larghezza il “Sailing Yacht A” è lo yacht a vela più grande al mondo e fra quelli più costosi mai realizzati. L'imbarcazione, varata nel 2015, è ufficialmente registrata presso una società delle Bermuda ma la sua proprietà è riconducibile indirettamente al magnate russo colpito dalle sanzioni europee (GUERRA IN UCRAINA, il Liveblog - lo Speciale - Il racconto degli inviati di Sky TG24 ).

I numeri dello yacht

Lo yacht si trova in manutenzione nel porto di Trieste, e più precisamente all’Arsenale San Marco di Fincantieri. Costruito nei cantieri di Nobiskrug, in Germania, il panfilo ha un albero maestro di 90 metri e la parte emersa alta come un palazzo di 8 piani. Il Sy A è stato "congelato" nel porto di Trieste dal Nucleo Speciale Polizia Valutaria, con la collaborazione del Nucleo Pef e del Roan del capoluogo friulano.

approfondimento

Guerra in ucraina, nuove sanzioni usa contro oligarchi russi.

Chi è Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko

Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, inserito nei giorni scorsi nella black list dell’Unione europea (contenente i nomi di 40 magnati russi e di oltre 800 altri soggetti considerati sanzionabili perché coinvolti più o meno direttamente nell’invasione dell’Ucraina decisa dal presidente Vladimir Putin), è il principale azionista del gruppo EuroChem, che produce fertilizzanti, e della società di energia del carbone Suek. Il suo patrimonio ammonterebbe a 19,8 miliardi di dollari.

Guerra Ucraina, chi sono gli oligarchi russi vicini a Putin

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Cronaca: i più letti.

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Italy seizes Russian billionaire Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A

The vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht.

FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 11

Here are your FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 11.

Italian police have seized a superyacht owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, the prime minister's office said on Saturday, a few days after the businessman was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The 143-metre (470-foot) Sailing Yacht A, which has a price tag of 530 million euros ($578 million), has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, the government said.

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Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht, the government said.

Melnichenko owned major fertiliser producer EuroChem Group and coal company SUEK. The companies said in statements on Thursday that he had resigned as a member of the board in both companies and withdrawn as their beneficiary, effective Wednesday.

The luxury yacht " Sailing Yacht A " with her unique form, which was built for Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, sails past Italian Isola del Giglio island on July 10, 2018, near the "Scole" rocks where the Costa Concordia cruise ship crashed l ((Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Melnichenko, Alex Andreev, said the businessman had "no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations".

RUSSIAN OLIGARCH YACHTS, LUXURY COASTAL PROPERTIES SEIZED BY ITALY: PHOTOS

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list," Andreev said. "We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.

Since last week Italian police have seized villas and yachts worth more than 700 million euros ($763.63 million) from high-profile Russians who have been placed on the EU sanctions list, Economy Minister Daniele Franco said on Saturday.

This photograph taken on March 10, 2022, shows a sailing yacht A owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko in Trieste, Italy. - The sailing yacht A is the largest private sail-assisted motor yacht in the world. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP) (Photo ( (Photo by JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

"So far we have hit what was visible, now we have to hit the rest such as shareholdings. We are doing a great job to bring out what is shielded by trusts and front names," Giuseppe Zafarana, head of the Italian tax police, told journalists in Bergamo on Saturday.

The police operations were part of a coordinated drive by Western states to penalise wealthy Russians they say are linked to President Vladimir Putin.

RUSSIAN OLIGARCH ALISHER USMANOV’S $600M YACHT SEIZED IN GERMANY: REPORTS

Separately, a superyacht reported to be owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich arrived in Montenegro's territorial waters on Saturday morning, according to a Reuters photographer.

A Finance Police officer boards the superyacht from Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko which has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, Italy, March 12, 2022, in this screen grab taken from video, Finance Police/Handout via R (Finance Police/Handout via REUTERS / Reuters Photos)

The Solaris is one of a string of yachts owned by Chelsea Football Club owner Abramovich, according to reports in luxury goods publications SuperYachtFan, SuperYacht Times and Forbes.

The 140-metre (460-foot) vessel is moored off the luxury resort Porto Montenegro in the town of Tivat. The boat left Barcelona on Tuesday.

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Britain imposed sanctions on Abramovich on Thursday, freezing his assets and citing what it called his close relationship with Putin. Abramovich has denied having such ties.

($1 = 0.9167 euros)

(Reporting by Emilio Parodi in Bergamo and Stevo Vasiljevic in TivatWriting by Giselda VagnoniEditing by Frances Kerry)

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Ukraine: Italy seizes world's biggest sailing yacht from Russian oligarch

Melnichencko yacht seized in trieste port..

Italy’s financial police ( @GDF ) has just frozen “SY A” - a sailing yacht worth ~€530m located in the Port of Trieste. The yacht could be linked indirectly to Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko - an individual in the EU sanctions list. pic.twitter.com/fRg6ZTIQRH — Ferdinando Giugliano (@FerdiGiugliano) March 12, 2022

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