Amid growing western sanctions on Russia, at least five superyachts owned by Russian billionaires are either anchored in or moving around the Maldives, a small Indian Ocean archipelago and a luxury tourism destination, media reports say citing ship tracking data. More superyachts are on their way to the Maldives. 

The move came after the US and other western countries warned of seizing superyachts of Russian oligarchs considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of their response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. 

According to a report in Forbes, German authorities had reportedly seized Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov's 512-foot megayacht Dilbar, with an estimated value of $600 million, in a Hamburg shipyard. However, no official confirmation of it has come so far. 

Usmanov was among Russian billionaires sanctioned by the European Union. 

Earlier this week, in his State of Union address, US President Joe Biden threatened that West will seize Russian oligarchs’ yachts, luxury apartments, and other properties.  

Reuters reported, citing shipping database Marine Tariffic,  the Clio superyacht, owned by Oleg Deripaska, the founder of aluminium giant Rusal, who was sanctioned by the United States in 2018, was anchored off Maldives' capital Male on Wednesday, according to shipping database MarineTraffic.

The Titan, another superyacht owned by Alexander Abramov, a co-founder of steel producer Evraz, arrived on 28 February. Three other yachts are seen moving around the Maldives. 
 
(SAM)