© SERGEI ILNITSKY / EFE
Sergei Chemezov and Vladimir Putin
the super yacht Valerie, linked to Russian oligarch Sergei Chemezov, valued at $140 million and 85 meters long, has been immobilized in Barcelona in application of the sanctions approved by the EU against Russiathe regime of its president, Vladimir Putinand the leaders of its economic network.
This has been confirmed to Efe by sources familiar with the situation, who have specified that the yacht, docked in Barcelona for maintenance tasks and repair, has the flag of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is located in a shipyard in the city.
The president of the Government, Pedro Sanchezrevealed this Monday, in an interview in La Sexta, that the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine had ordered this Monday to retain the ship to verify its ownership, in which it is the first spanish intervention directed against Russian billionaires close to Putin.
Sánchez explained that these types of operations “are not easy”, because these large owners of Russian origin usually use intermediary companies that make tracking difficult and seizure of their assets.
Despite this, the President of the Executive was convinced that after this immobilized yacht “more will come.”
“We have to act forcefully with Putin, with his regime and with the oligarchs,” he concluded.
Very close to Putin
In this case, the yacht would be linked, through a complex network of companies, with the tycoon Sergei Chemezov, CEO of the arms company Rostec Corporation and very close to the Russian president.
The Valerie is in the shipyards of the company MB92, who has refused to comment on the information for reasons of confidentiality.
The company has limited itself to pointing out that it is “cooperating with the authorities and will continue to do so”. “Active compliance with any applicable regulations is imperative for MB92 Group”, he underlined.
In the facilities of this company was also the superyacht My Solaris, linked to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovichwhat left Barcelona last week, where it had been since the end of 2021 to be subjected to maintenance tasks.
In all Spanish ports
The largest luxury vessels in the world have passed through the MB92 shipyards, some of them linked to well-known Russian tycoons, such as Abramovich themselves or Sergey Victorovich Chemezov, although the flags on these ships are of convenience and are listed as owned by various companies.
Ante la Russian invasion of Ukrainethe General Directorate of the Merchant Marine has asked the Spanish ports information on Russian-flagged or Russian-owned vessels moored at its facilities, to assess the impact that possible sanctions would have on maritime traffic.
In this sense, the Government of Spain is collecting information on the number of vessels with a Russian flag or Russian shipowners greater than 24 meters found in the facilities of the Spanish ports.