MALLORCA – On Tuesday, the Spanish government seized superyachts for the first time in connection with EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs. It concerns the yachts ‘Tango’, ‘Lady Anastasia’ and ‘Valerie’that were anchored in different ports of Mallorca.
The 47-metre luxury yacht, ‘Lady Anastasia’, made headlines in late February when a Ukrainian tried to sink it in Port Adriano. The Guardia Civil currently guards the ship until the authorities complete the formalities of the seizure, port manager Isabel Teruel confirms to Diario de Mallorca. The ship was running out of fuel, leading officers on duty to conclude that no escape attempt was imminent.
Putin’s confidant
According to information from Diario de Mallorca, the owner of Lady Anastasia is Alexander Mikheev, director of Rosoboronexport. This is Russia’s largest state-owned arms manufacturing and selling company. Reportedly, the 60-year-old is a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mikheev has been working at the arms manufacturer for 22 years. Since 2017, he has been leading the company, which exports its products to 122 countries around the world.
In a press release, the Spanish Ministry of Transport announced that authorities would detain Lady Anastasia to trace the owner of the yacht and compare it with the EU sanctions list.
The Ukrainian who wanted to sink the yacht acted in revenge. The Russian army destroyed his house during the first days of the attack on Ukraine. Furthermore, after he left jail, the former engine room manager went to Ukraine to fight the Russians at home.
Superyacht ‘Tango’
According to Diario de Mallorca, the police blocked ‘Tango’ in the port of Palma de Mallorca. Consequently, customs officers are now examining the ship. As long as the police are investigating the case, the yacht can not leave the port. Viktor Wekselberg is the owner of the luxury yacht, which according to experts is worth around €150 million.
This Russian oligarch is one of the richest men in Russia. According to Forbes magazine, he has a net worth of $9.3 billion and ranks 262nd in the list of the richest people in the world. He owns the world’s largest aluminum company and invests in the energy and telecommunications sectors. On Sunday (March 13), the US blacklisted ‘Tango’ as part of a package of sanctions.
Yacht ‘Valerie’ in Barcelona
It was not until Monday that it became known that authorities had also seized the luxury yacht “Valerie” in Barcelona. This belongs to the head of the Russian state arms company Rostec, Sergey Chemesov, the OM reports.
In connection with the sanctions against Russians, the Spanish authorities had pointed out that it was very difficult to determine the ownership structure of yachts.
