Russian oligarchs flee in their superyachts to ‘sanctions safe havens’ and tool up with 24hr security after Ukraine war
RUSSIAN oligarchs appear to be moving their plush superyachts to safe havens around the world as the West tightens sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
A growing number of vessels belonging to Russian tycoons are cruising around the Maldives, Montenegro and the Seychelles just as multiple sanctions have been slapped on their homeland.
As the war rages on in Ukraine for a seventh day, Russian billionaires appear to be fleeing for the exit to escape potential asset seizures.
The West has hit companies and oligarchs at the heart of Putin’s brutal regime with sanctions worth billions of pounds, asset freezes and travel bans.
Data from Marine Traffic reveals at least four yachts owned by Russian tycoons are now cruising around the Seychelles, Montenegro and the Maldives.
And private security teams have been hired by Russians billionaires who are worried about their superyachts in Majorca being targeted after the invasion of Ukraine.
The movements of the Russian superyachts come as the US suggests it will take aim at the assets of Russian business leaders as part of its sanctions against Moscow.
US president Joe Biden said he and his allies plan to seize the yachts, luxury apartments and private jets of wealthy connected Russians.
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France is also drawing up a list of properties owned by Russian oligarchs - including yachts - that could be seized under EU sanctions.
And the Maldives and Montenegro do not have an extradition treaties with the US - making it a safe haven for the yachts belonging to the Russian billionaires.
According to Marine Traffic, the superyacht known as Clio dropped anchor near the Maldives capital Male on Monday after sailing from Sri Lanka.
The Cayman Islands-registered vessel is owned by aluminium tycoon Oleg Deripaska - who was sanctioned by the US in 2018.
The largest yacht currently in the Maldives is the 459ft Ocean Victory, belonging to steel magnate Victor Rashnikov, reports.
Titan, owned by Russian billionaire Alexander Abramov, is also currently anchored in Male.
Meanwhile, Vagit Alekperov, president of Russia-based Lukoil, is sailing his yacht - the Galactica Super Nova - to Montenegro from Barcelona, according to Marine Traffic.
And the 465ft Nord, owned by Alexei Mordashov - another steel billionaire - is currently in the Seychelles after reportedly sailing from the Maldives.
He was among oligarchs added to the EU's sanctions blacklist - along with Igor Sechin, head of state oil giant Rosneft, and Nikolay Tokarev, boss of pipeline mammoth Transneft.
Russian banker Andrey Kostin’s Sea Rhapsody is also heading to the Seychelles after reportedly sailing into Barcelona last month.
It's not clear why the Russians would be moving their yachts to the Seychelles as it has an extradition treaty with the US and other countries.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said lawyers at the Foreign Office were building up "watertight"; cases to successfully sanction Russian oligarchs in the UK.
The MP threatened: "We will continue working through our hit list of oligarchs, focusing on their houses, their yachts and every aspect of their lives."
Roman Abramovich, the owner of Premier League football club Chelsea, owns a number of superyachts, including the $600million Solaris - which has a missile detection system - and the $1billion Eclipse.
Solaris is currently moored in Barcelona, and Eclipse is in the Caribbean, according to the latest information.
An MP claimed this week Abramovich was selling his properties in Britain to avoid possible financial sanctions.
Labour's Chris Bryant told MPs: "I think he is terrified of being sanctioned, which is why he's already going to sell his home tomorrow, and sell another flat as well.
"My anxiety is that we're taking too long about these things."
Another Russian tycoon, Alexander Mikheev, who took over state-owned weapons supplier Rostec six years ago, owns Lady Anastasia, a $7million superyacht.
And on Tuesday, images reportedly showed a Ukrainian sailor trying to sink the oligarch's vessel as he claimed his boss sells weapons to Putin.
The 156ft luxury yacht was moored at Pord Adriano in Majorca when Taras Ostapchuk, 55, opened the valves.
Private security teams have now been called in to protect the superyachts and luxury villas on the Spanish island.
Cops have stepped up patrols of the island's ports so there is a 24-hour watch to head off potential damage through revenge attacks.
Spanish newspaper, Ultima Hora says many tycoons have "activated preventive protection mechanisms" to avoid attacks on their properties.
The Russian community have also been letting kitchen and cleaning staff stay in their villas to prevent them from being empty.
It comes as Grant Shapps took a swipe at Russian oligarchs and their yachts on Tuesday by banning all Russian shipping from using ports in the UK.
The Transport Secretary made the move over concerns about a Russian oil tanker scheduled to dock in Orkney on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Boris Johnson was asked what he thought of the failure of most Russian oligarchs to speak out against the war on Ukraine.
He told ITV: "I think that their silence is inexplicable, and I think that people need to step up and denounce this act of aggression, and those oligarchs who have connections with the Putin regime and who are benefiting from their association with the Russian state, we are going to expose and distrain their assets."
More than 2,000 Ukrainians have been killed in the war with Russia so far as fierce fighting in the country enters its seventh day.
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Russian troops have completely surrounded the cities of Kherson and Mariupol in southern Ukraine, while the country's second city of Kharkiv has continued to come under intense shelling.
And Putin's troops continue to close in on the capital Kyiv, even as his hopes of a quick takeover of the country have been dashed.