Now it has also caught the sailing ship of businessman Andrei Melnichenko (50)!
By Jeanne Plaumann and Jörg Köhnemann
Western sanctions against Russia because of Kremlin tyrant Vladimir Putin’s bloody war in Ukraine are having an impact worldwide: more and more oligarch yachts are being confiscated.
► The government in Rome announced that the “Sailing Yacht A” was confiscated in Italy. The police arrested the 143 meter long and 530 million euro ship in the port of Trieste.
The ship is the largest private sailing yacht in the world. It was built by German Naval Yards in Kiel and Nobiskrug in Rendsburg.
After the confiscation by the Italian authorities, Melnichenko declared that he had no connection with the events in Ukraine and would legally defend himself against the sanctions. He is on the EU sanctions list imposed on Russian oligarchs and Kremlin-linked companies after the start of Putin’s war in Ukraine.
► According to Forbes (March 2021), the oligarch has personal assets equivalent to 16.4 billion euros. Until March of this year, Melnichenko held a majority stake in the fertilizer manufacturer Eurochem and the coal and electricity group SUEK, but gave up his posts in both companies due to EU sanctions.
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According to its own statements, Italy had already confiscated several villas and yachts from Russian owners in the past few days and most recently put the total value of these assets at 143 million euros. This sum is now likely to be higher.
This is the “Sailing Yacht A”
The “Sailing Yacht A” has an underwater lounge in the glass keel tip. Four dinghies and a mini submarine are waiting in the hangar. 54 crew members sail the three-master and take care of up to 20 guests.
► However, the 39 km/h fast ship with three up to 100 meter high carbon masts (from England) and three giant sails (4500 sqm, from the USA) has a problem: It can sail the Baltic Sea on the normal shipping route through the Öresund Bridge (connects Denmark and Sweden, 57 m clearance) has to take a detour through the narrow sound south of the island of Salthom on the way to Russia.