SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 20 April 2024, Saturday |

Sanctioned Russian billionaire’s yacht on sale for 29.5 million euros

According to an email obtained by Reuters, a luxury yacht broker in the United States is promoting for sale a 168-foot superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Igor Kesaev for 29.5 million euros.

The proposed sale of the MySky yacht, which was revealed in an advertisement emailed by the brokerage firm to unnamed recipients on Sept. 14, comes amid concerns from Western governments and campaigners that billionaires like Kesaev have been able to circumvent a patchwork of international sanctions targeting their luxury assets such as yachts.

In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU and UK sanctioned Kesaev in April, alleging his role in military weapons manufacture and tobacco sales in Russia, as well as connections to the Russian government “and its security forces.” The US has not sanctioned Kesaev, and the Treasury Department has not responded to demands for comment.

Sara Gioanola, a spokesman for Heesen Yachts, the Dutch company that constructed MySky, acknowledged that Kesaev commissioned it as well as another boat named Sky.

An article about Kesaev’s daughter and her art gallery in the spring 2021 edition of Heesen’s magazine noted that “the Kesaev family is well known to Heesen, having commissioned Sky and MySky over the past decade.”

A spokesman for Kesaev declined to address questions about the ownership of the yacht or its imminent sale.

The advertisement seen by Reuters was sent from an email address at Fort Lauderdale, Florida firm Merle Wood & Associates, which calls itself “one of the premier yacht brokerage firms worldwide.” It was circulated privately with a warning not to post the advertisement publicly. Reuters was unable to determine the recipients.

The yacht named MySky features “ultra-modern sophisticated interiors” by a well-known Dutch architect, an “indoor climate controlled gymnasium” and a deck that can be used for landing helicopters, according to the advertisement.

    Source:
  • Reuters