Putin’s €87m superyacht makes hasty getaway amid sanction warnings

The 82-metre superyacht Graceful, said to belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been pictured sailing towards Russia from a German shipyard. The unexpected move has prompted speculation the Russian leader is avoiding the €87m vessel being impounded by tough sanctions that could follow if Russia invades Ukraine.

German newspaper The Kieler Nachrichten reports that the luxury yacht had been at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg for a refurbishment since 2021, but left German waters swiftly this week, before the work could be completed. The yacht has now arrived at the Russian enclave Kaliningrad on the Baltic Coast, according to tracking website Marine Traffic.

The Bild newspaper claimed the move “was obviously an escape for fear of being arrested”. Amid rising tensions as Russia deploys more troops along the border with Ukraine, Nato states including the US and UK have threatened to introduce tough sanctions if Russia invades Kiev.

The superyacht, which reportedly has an indoor pool that can be transformed into a dance floor as well as a helipad, was scheduled to have two additional forward balconies fitted during the modification works in Hamburg, as well as an extension to the swimming pool, according to Kieler Nachrichten.

Pictures published by German media show areas of the yacht’s exterior are in a state of semi-repair, with masking tape on windows. Kieler Nachrichten reports the works will most likely be completed in Kaliningrad.

Putin, a former intelligence officer who has been in power as either president or prime minister in Russia since 1999, has a reported annual salary of around 10 million rubles (£98,000).

He has an alleged fleet of at least three luxurious superyachts, although he isn’t confirmed as the official owner of any of them. In addition to the €87m Graceful, he is understood to have a presidential cabin aboard the 57-metre Olympia and also spends time on the 54-metre Chayka (Seagull), allegedly purchased for the Russian Presidential Administration to host formal meetings.