French authorities say they have seized a yacht owned by a Russian oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin which was being prepared to "sail off urgently" from its dock on the French Riviera.
At least five superyachts owned by Russian billionaires appear to have found temporary a haven in the Maldives, a luxury holiday destination in the Indian Ocean that has no extradition treaty with the US.
The billionaires are either on existing sanctions lists over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, or face calls to be added.
French authorities have also seized four cargo vessels.
French seize yacht in Mediterranean port
Customs officials said the yacht seized in the French Riviera was linked to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft.
The 86-metre Amore Vero was docked at the French Mediterranean resort of La Ciotat, where it had been undergoing repairs since January 3.
It was slated to leave on April 1, before being seized.
Customs officers had noted that the yacht was "taking steps to sail off urgently, without the repair works being over".
"Thanks to the French Customs officers who are enforcing the European Union's sanctions against those close to the Russian government," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.
In a statement, Rosneft declined to comment on the French move, saying Mr Sechin was unaware that any company linked to him owned the yacht.
The moves come amid sanctions threatening ultra-wealthy Russians who own properties across Europe and send their children to elite European private schools.
Superyachts head for Maldives
A growing list of superyachts linked to wealthy Russians have been spotted in the Maldives this week.
The Clio, owned by Oleg Deripaska, the founder of aluminium giant Rusal who was sanctioned by the United States in 2018, was anchored off the capital Male on Wednesday, according to shipping database MarineTraffic.
The Titan, owned by Alexander Abramov, a co-founder of Russian steel producer Evraz, arrived on Monday.
Three more yachts owned by Russian oligarchs were seen cruising in Maldives waters on Wednesday, the data showed.
They included the 88m Nirvana owned by Vladimir Potanin, who is believed to be Russia's richest man.
Most of the vessels were last seen anchored in Middle Eastern ports.
A spokesperson for the Maldives government did not respond to a request for comment.
World’s fifth-biggest yacht sits in German port
In Germany, a nearly $820 million luxury yacht owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, also on the EU's sanctions list, was sitting in a Hamburg shipyard.
A spokesman for Hamburg's economic authority said there were no plans for the yacht to be delivered to its owner, without providing further detail.
He denied that the government had seized the 156m Dilbar superyacht.
Forbes reported on Wednesday that the Dilbar had been undergoing a refit in shipyards of Blohm + Voss and that the German government had frozen the asset.
Mr Usmanov is the founder of mining company Metalloinvest.
The Dilbar is the world’s fifth-biggest superyacht, according to Boat International.
The vessel, which is named after Mr Usmanov's mother, has two helipads and one of the largest indoor pools ever installed on a yacht.
It costs about $80 million a year to operate.
Mr Usmanov's private jet, one of Russia's largest privately owned aircraft, is also covered by the sanctions.
Sanctions begin to bite elites and ordinary Russians
Wealthy Russians have been under pressure across the Atlantic as well, with the US State Department saying on Thursday it was imposing visa bans on 19 Russian oligarchs and dozens of their family members and associates.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has also been hit with US sanctions. And visa restrictions would be imposed on 19 Russian oligarchs, their family members and associates, the White House said.
"We continue to impose very severe economic sanctions on Putin and all those folks around him, choking off access to technology as well as cutting off access to global financial institutions," US President Joe Biden said.
"It's had a profound impact already."
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich confirmed on Wednesday he was trying to sell the English Premier League’s Chelsea soccer club, with a price tag of at least $3.4 billion floated.
He said net proceeds from the sale would be donated to benefit all victims of the war in Ukraine.
Ordinary Russians are also feeling the impact of the sanctions, from payment systems that will not operate and problems withdrawing cash to not being able to purchase certain items.
ABC/wires
