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Yachts of Russian oligarchs fleeing from sanctions

The 'Clio', owned by the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, the founder of the Russian aluminum group Rusal, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018, dropped anchor off Mala, the capital of the Maldives, on March 1, 2022, in an obviuos attempt to escape sanctions. At least two other superyachts owned by Russian billionaires also set sail for the Maldives shortly after Western nations threatened to seize assets from sanctioned oligarchs. On Feb 26, the White House had stated that in the coming week a multilateral Transatlantic task force would be launched to identify, hunt down, and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs, among them their yachts, their mansions, and any other ill-gotten gains and freeze under the law. Spanish Maritime Authorities requested from all marinas to provide Government information on all mega yachts with a length of 24 meters and above, if they were owned, or related to, Russian citizens and Russian interests. There are practically no mega yachts registered under the Russian flag, and they might be identified as such only via true ownership. There is a strong possibility, that all Russia-owned mega yachts will be detained, and confiscated. Among the first to be identified was the 'Tango' (IMO: 1010703), which is owned by the Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and actually docked at the yacht repair yard Astilleros de Mallorca.