- Superyachts linked to sanctioned Russian oligarchs have embarked on epic journeys since the Ukraine war began.
- Five of them have sailed over 5,000 nautical miles since February 24, an analysis by Bloomberg and Spire found.
- Russian oligarchs have been moving their trophy assets around the world to evade Western sanctions.
Superyachts linked to sanctioned Russian oligarchs have embarked on epic journeys across the world's oceans since war broke out in Ukraine.
Five of these luxury yachts, collectively worth an estimated $1.7 billion, have each traveled more than 5,000 nautical miles since February 24 – further than sailing between Los Angeles and Tokyo – according to an analysis by Bloomberg News and Spire, an analytics firm.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Russian oligarchs have sought to move their yachts, private jets, and other trophy assets to friendly jurisdictions to avoid the impact of war sanctions imposed by Western nations.
Simão Oliveira, a developer at Spire, said that over the past few months, the yachts of sanctioned Russian oligarchs had been traveling more miles than they previously did, and were visiting destinations they previously didn't.
Of the five yachts, the Amadea, a $300 million vessel linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, has sailed the furthest since February 24: nearly 8,400 nautical miles, Bloomberg and Spire's analysis found. Kerimov's ship was seized by Fijian authorities on Friday at the behest of the US.
Oleg Deripaska's $65 million yacht Clio has sailed nearly 7,400 nautical miles since February 24, per the analysis. Deripaska, who cofounded the Russian aluminum giant Rusal, was sanctioned by the US in 2018.
Alexei Mordashov, who has been sanctioned by the EU and UK, is linked to the superyacht Nord, which has sailed more than 6,700 nautical miles since the Ukraine war began, the analysis found. Nord, worth an estimated $500 million, returned to Russia a month after Mordashov was sanctioned.
Titan, linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexander Abramov, has cruised almost 5,400 nautical miles over the past two months, the Bloomberg and Spire data showed. The yacht was last located in Turkey, having earlier made its way through the Suez Canal from Dubai, Insider previously reported, citing data from Marine Traffic.
A superyacht linked to sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich, the $700 million Eclipse, has sailed around 5,200 nautical miles since Russia invaded Ukraine, per Bloomberg and Spire's analysis. Eclipse was last detected in Turkey, tracking data shows. Another superyacht linked to Abramovich, the $600 million Solaris, was last reported as anchored in Turkish waters, per Marine Traffic.
Turkey — where Clio, Titan, and Eclipse were last located — hasn't sanctioned members of Russia's elite over the Ukraine invasion, meaning the yachts are safe from seizure.