According to Forbes, which cited various anonymous sources, Germany confiscated a mega-yacht owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov on Wednesday. Usmanov’s yacht is the first to be under capture since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. It had been in Hamburg, Germany, for months for a refit. Usmanov paid an estimated $600 million for the custom-built boat, which took 52 months to complete.
As per Lürssen, the manufacturer of the German ship; Dilbar, a 512-foot yacht that weighs 15,917 tons, “is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage.”
Alisher Usmanov assets frozen as part of European Union penalties
Moreover, to prevent Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many countries, notably the United States and the European Union, have imposed sanctions. There has been the imposition of financial penalties on Russian banks, Russian billionaires, and even Vladimir Putin. According to the Guardian, Usmanov’s assets have been frozen as part of European Union penalties. Alisher Usmanov resigned as President of the International Fencing Federation, one of his enterprises, when the European Union declared penalties against him and other Russian oligarchs.Â
“I believe that such a decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation,” Usmanov said in a statement on the company’s website. “I hereby suspend the exercise of my duties as the President of the International Fencing Federation effective immediately until justice is restored,” he said.
However, one from Germany’s General Customs Office was reachable for comment right away. Usmanov’s officials did not answer back to a request for remark. Ship monitoring data mentions, at least five superyachts by Russian oligarchs were cruising in the Maldives on Wednesday. It is an Indian Ocean island nation that does not have an extradition pact with the US.
