The New York Times revealed that U.S. intelligence agencies have identified the location of a luxury yacht that may belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The yacht, named "Shahrzad," is reportedly valued at around $700 million, according to insider sources cited by the newspaper. U.S. intelligence has found initial indications of its connection to Putin but has not reached definitive conclusions regarding the ownership of the giant yacht. U.S. authorities speculate that a luxury yacht docked in Italy may be owned by Vladimir Putin, according to a report.
The 460-foot-long "Shahrzad" is currently docked in Italy. The newspaper had previously reported that Italian authorities are investigating the yacht's ownership, as a former crew member indicated that Putin used it. The sources did not disclose whether Putin is currently using the yacht or how many times he has used it. American officials noted that Putin has kept little of his wealth in his name, often utilizing homes and boats owned by close associates, suggesting the possibility that "Shahrzad" is under Putin's direct control through shell companies.
Additional information suggests that Putin spent considerable time during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sochi, Russia, on the Black Sea, with "Shahrzad" making several trips to Sochi in the summer of 2020 and 2021. The report mentioned that the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Intelligence and the U.S. Navy's Office of Intelligence are investigating the ownership of luxury yachts linked to the Russian oligarchs.
The U.S. Department of Justice has formed a specialized task force to pursue the assets of Russian oligarchs under sanctions. Italian authorities announced on Saturday that they had frozen a yacht worth $575 million owned by Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko, who has been targeted by EU sanctions, according to a report by Agence France-Presse. The "Sy A," docked in the northeastern port of Trieste, is considered the largest private sailing and motor yacht in the world.
Italy has recently seized assets worth around €140 million belonging to wealthy Russians, including the "Lady M" yacht worth €65 million owned by Alexey Mordashov, a businessman close to Putin. Western nations have imposed sanctions on Russian oligarchs in response to the invasion of Ukraine, including detaining a yacht in France owned by Igor Sechin and preventing Alisher Usmanov's yacht from leaving Germany, as well as seizing Usmanov's resort in Sardinia. Many prominent figures in Russia are also subject to sanctions, including 350 deputies and associates of Putin, including Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as Putin himself. These sanctions also target several Russian businessmen, including Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club, which he has put up for sale, and Igor Sechin, the head of the oil company Rosneft.
