News Ukraine crisis: Italy

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

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

12 Mar, 2022

Melnichencko yacht seized in Trieste port.

Italy's finance police have seized a super-yacht from Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko in the northern port of Trieste, the prime minister’s office announced.

The seizure of the 143-m vessel, called 'SY A' and valued at €530 million, is as high an eight-storey building and is the largest sailing yacht in the world, reports Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The move is part of measures taken against Russian tycoons included in the EU 'black list' for sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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

The vessel, which can reportedly accommodate 60 guests and crew, is equipped with a large swimming pool, an underwater observatory and a helipad.

The Corriere reports that Melnichencko is the main shareholder of the EuroChem fertiliser group and coal energy company SUEK.

In 2021, Forbes estimated Melnichenko's net worth at $19.8 billion, making the 50-year-old tycoon the seventh richest man in Russia.

Last week Italian police seized yachts and villas in Italy worth more than €140 million from five Russian oligarchs with links to president Vladimir Putin, as part of the west's response to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Photo Adnkronos