The prized, 512-foot yacht of Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has been seized by German officials today following sanctions imposed by the EU , reported Forbes’ Giacomo Tognini:
Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union on Monday. Two days later, Forbes has learned from three sources in the yacht industry that one of his prized possessions—the 512-foot yacht Dilbar, valued at nearly $600 million—has been seized by German authorities in the northern city of Hamburg.
The ship has been in the Hamburg shipyards of German shipbuilding firm Blohm+Voss since late October for a refitting job. Sources who spoke to Forbes said that the German government froze the asset and that, likely as a result, Blohm+Voss employees who had been working on the yacht didn’t show up to work on Wednesday. Representatives for Blohm+Voss and Usmanov didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Usmanov purchased Dilbar in 2016 for a reported cost of $600 million from German shipbuilder Lürssen, which custom-built it for him over 52 months. The firm calls it “one of the most complex and challenging yachts ever built, in terms of both dimensions and technology.” At 15,917 tons, it’s the world’s largest motor yacht by gross tonnage , and is typically manned by a crew of 96 people. Dilbar boasts the largest swimming pool ever installed on a yacht as well as two helicopter pads, a sauna, a beauty salon, and a gym. Its plush interiors have more than 1,000 sofa cushions and it can host up to 24 people in 12 suites.
Excellent! Usmanov is not on the UK “Putin asset” list, but aparently he is on the EU list. Now, I wonder how many Ukrainian refugees can sleep on a yacht like that?
Wow, that line of reasoning is insane. The invasion of Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea is NATO/The West’s fault because they politely asked other nations to join them, and tried to convince them of the benefits that would have - rather than the fault of Putin and Russia who made heavy insinuations of an “or else” to their counter offers, then systematically undermined neighboring governments and laid the groundwork to “justify” annexations and invasions over the better part of a decade before starting to actually do it.
Yeah, I’m sure the fact that Putin’s words and behavior made him seem like the kind of world leader to do exactly what he’s doing now played no part in making allying with NATO and The West seem appealing to Ukraine - “forcing” Russia to start a war to stop it happening.
Edited to Add: Also this little nugget of fuckwittery “It’s not imperialism; it’s great- power politics” - So not a larger, more powerful nation telling a smaller political entity to act in its interest or be forcibly absorbed, but a smaller nation being told to act in a larger, more powerful political entity’s interest or be forcibly absorbed?
@GagHalfrunt: Ahmadinejad is still alive. Wonders never cease!
@KathyPartdeux: Look at upper 6 and 7-figure residential unit sale prices, then compare to 12 month water use. No water used for less than 4-6 month a year? Sus AF.
