irina vu yacht owner

In true Ocean’s-Eleven style, a Russian billionaire made his seized 111 ft long superyacht disappear from a dry dock and cleverly fooled the authorities by switching it with an identical vessel made by the same shipyard.

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Several questioned in Croatia over oligarch’s missing yacht

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ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatian police on Friday brought in for questioning several people over the October disappearance of a luxury yacht from an Adriatic Sea marina where it was held under international sanctions connected to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The disappearance of the 35-meter Irina Vu from the marina on the island of Murter was only recently noticed and reported by local media. The yacht reportedly sailed to Turkey and another one was left in its place.

The incident has triggered public criticism of the authorities in Croatia. The luxury vessel was one of five impounded in the country because they belonged to Russia-linked tycoons who came under international sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The government has replaced officials in charge of coastal security and the Murter marina while also stepping up monitoring of the remaining yachts.

Croatian state TV network HRT said the missing yacht was worth around 5 million euros ($5.44 million.) HRT reported Friday that it belonged to the family of a Russian oligarch with close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Croatian police gave no details about the suspects or the investigation. The statement added that officers have been conducting searches in several locations, including the suspects’ homes.

Croatia is a popular yachting destination because of its stunning coastline and hundreds of islands. Local media have also questioned how the yacht could sail all the way to Turkey without being registered and checked along the way.

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IRINA VU is a 34.53 m Motor Yacht, built in the United Kingdom by Sunseeker and delivered in 2012. She is one of 20 115 Sport Yacht models.

Her top speed is 26.0 kn, her cruising speed is 19.0 kn, and she boasts a maximum cruising range of 1250.0 nm at 12.0 kn, with power coming from two MTU diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 staterooms, with 5 crew members waiting on their every need. She has a gross tonnage of 236.0 GT and a 7.39 m beam.

She was designed by Sunseeker , who also completed the naval architecture and designed the interior. Sunseeker has designed 372 yachts, created the naval architecture for 276 yachts, and designed the interior of 379 yachts for yachts above 24 metres.

IRINA VU is in the top 30% by LOA in the world. She is one of 2070 motor yachts in the 30-35m size range, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her top speed is 2.22 kn above the average, and her volume 49.94 GT above the average.

IRINA VU is currently sailing under the Croatia flag (along with a total of other 64 yachts). She has recently entered the superyacht marina D-Marin Didim, in Turkey. For more information regarding IRINA VU's movements, find out more about BOAT Pro AIS .

Specifications

• Name: IRINA VU
• Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
• Yacht Subtype: Planing Fast Yacht
• Model: 115 Sport Yacht
• Builder: Sunseeker
• Naval Architect: Sunseeker
• Exterior Designer: Sunseeker
• Interior Designer: Sunseeker

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Minister announces disciplinary action over Russian yacht’s disappearance

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The Sea Ministry committed two omissions regarding the sailing out of the Irina VU, a Russian yacht under sanctions, and disciplinary action will be taken against the head of the Navigation Security Department and the Sibenik Port Authority, Minister Oleg Butkovic said on Friday.

The yacht was one of five in Croatia that have been blocked and sealed, he told press before a cabinet meeting.

The first omission refers to the actual sealing and the surveillance of the yacht, he said, “because you can’t explain to anyone that the yacht was sealed in July and only in January is it found out that it’s not there, because it left the dry berth in October.”

The other omission is the failure to inform all port authorities in Croatia in time, Butkovic said. “In this case, the yacht contacted the Dubrovnik Port Authority, which did not know which yachts are on the list of blocked vessels.”

Butkovic said several meetings had been held at the ministry these past few days to establish where omissions were made and to do everything to prevent similar cases in the future.

The minister said he decided to sack and launch disciplinary action against the head of the Navigation Security Department and the Sibenik Port Authority. “They didn’t do this deliberately. This was a mistake that happened to them and I’m confident it won’t happen again.”

The Irina VU was banned from leaving Croatian waters as it is on a list of assets of Russian oligarchs under EU, US and UK sanctions. It was stolen from a marina on Murter island early last October.

An almost identical yacht sailed into its place in the port, while the original is currently in a Turkish marina in the Aegean Sea. An international warrant has been issued for it and Croatia’s State Attorney’s Office and Security and Intelligence Agency as well as international agencies are investigating how the yacht ended up in Turkey despite the blockade.

Butkovic said the Sea Ministry must take additional surveillance measures for all sanctioned yachts and those relating to the exchange of information among port authorities.

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More Questions on Missing Russian Yacht Irina Vu in Croatia

Total Croatia News

Updated on: May 11, 2023

TODAY’s statement by the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, has deepened the issue of the sailing of the Russian yacht under the sanctions of Irina VU, and not resolved it.

She had to go through police and border control in Dubrovnik

What we knew until today is that the luxury yacht Irina VU, owned by the wife of Russian oligarch Ališer Usmanov, a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was under EU, US and UK sanctions and was prohibited from sailing.

She was anchored in Betina on Murter, and according to the information from the website, she sailed from the Betina marina on October 6 at 10:14, and on October 9 around 12:00, she was in the Turkish port of Didim. In order for the yacht to leave Croatian territorial waters, it had to go through police and border control and control by the Port Authority in Dubrovnik.

Let’s also recall the words of Frano Matušić at the beginning of the text, that is, on July 13, a decision was made to freeze the yacht. How did something like that get around the police? I guess that should be more important than the remark of one employee of the port master’s office to other port masters’ offices.

After all, what about the employees of the marina and shipyard on Murter? How did they not see that there was no yacht that was under sanctions and how was no one informed about it for three months? Furthermore, the people in charge at the marina and the boathouse had to give permission because a yacht that is in dry dock cannot be launched just like that.

To put such a vessel into operation, as we have learned from unofficial conversations with port and marina employees, a crane must be raised, the ship lowered into the sea according to someone’s request, the crew must be notified. So, you need to do some paperwork, do all those actions that precede her sailing.

How did the crew know the surveillance system didn’t see the blockage?

All the entities mentioned in this text were contacted by Index, looking for answers, which apparently are still not available to the public. We did not receive answers to written inquiries, and phone calls, as usually happens on Fridays in state institutions and companies, did not bear fruit. We were only answered by SOA, writing that they cannot comment on this case.

The most important questions are the ones we asked Butković’s ministry. We were interested in who was supervising the yacht in the Betina skver (we asked the skver himself), but also who issued the order to lower the yacht into the sea, as well as whether permission was issued for it to set sail.

We asked this ministry, as well as the MUP and the Dubrovnik police, how the ship passed the border control in Dubrovnik. Finally, we were also interested in how the crew knew that the surveillance system did not see the blockage that Minister Butković was talking about today.

If they had known this, some logic dictates, they would not have gone to the border control, which they obviously had to cross. We were also interested in who made up the crew and what the sealing of the vessel implies, i.e. whether it also means a mechanical ban on driving the vehicle.

Hajdaš Dončić: There is no system, no control

Another state secretary, the one in the relevant ministry of the sea, Alen Gospočić told Slobodna Dalmacija that this is pure theft, so it is unclear how it was not reported as such, which is actually the story’s context.

He also said something interesting to Slobodna Dalmacija – that they cannot have security guards in the ports and that it is an open marina, where everyone can come without any problems. “In the port of Betina, everything is open to anyone’s access. Both you and I can come there, walk along the waterfront and jump on any yacht that is moored there.

The Ministry informed the port that the yacht was blocked, the harbor master issued an instruction to the authorities that the yacht should not be accessed in any way, and the Ministry does not hire security services for 24-hour guarding of other people’s property, nor does it plan to do so, because such a system is unsustainable “, says Gospočić.

After all, Slobodna Dalmacija rightly asked itself how it is possible for the company Brodogradilište i marina, whose founder is Adut Konzalting, a company from Split, to let a ship leave without paying its bill. Especially the one that is under sanctions and is 35 meters long.

We also called the former line minister Siniša Hajdaš Dončić. “My brown yacht sails in the basement under the manhole, that’s how one could characterize the total absence of a control system in Plenković’s, sorry Luj 14 administration.

The harbor master should have been informed of the seizure and then the harbor master’s office cannot issue a navigation permit. As I said, there is no system, no control,” said Hajdaš Dončić briefly.

Former captain Obradović: I was on two sealed ships, there were armed security guards around us

We had a long talk on this topic with the former Dubrovnik sailor, long-sea captain Đorđe Obradović, who twice found himself on ships that were sealed by the port authorities. His statements actually best suggest what kind of procedure is involved in serious countries.

“Due to debts owed to suppliers of fuel and supplies, the ship I was sailing on was sealed by the port authorities in the port of Nassau in the Bahamas. We were tied to the waterfront for about a month, and the ship was guarded by two security guards armed only with pistols, who among other equipment had portable radio devices.

The ship was sealed very simply by placing a seal similar to the ones used on electricity meters in apartments on the cabinet with the ship’s master certificate and important documents.

No one was allowed to enter the ship except for the crew who were allowed to go out, but only with a port pass, while passports and seaman’s books were on board, in a sealed cabinet with other documents. From time to time, the control of the security company and the port authorities would come and tour the ship. When the company settled the debt, the port authorities unsealed the ship and allowed it to sail,” he says.

He said more about the second case.

“The second time I was on the ship was in Galveston, Texas, when the company sold the ship to another owner. The US Coast Guard took away the ship’s most important certificates and documents, and they put seals on the helm on the bridge and on the handle to start the main engine in the engine room There were security guards on the ship and next to it.

The sealing of the ship itself is a symbolic act and in some countries it can be a simple piece of paper prohibiting sailing. The actual seizure is taken care of by the authorities of the state that seizes the ship for various reasons, and in addition to the security guards who physically guard the ship, the most important thing is radar navigation surveillance, which identifies vessels, monitors their movement and takes the necessary actions, from permission to prohibition of navigation,” he said.

“The seal can be removed, but no one would dare to do that”

Was it possible to remove these fillings?

“Of course, with slightly stronger pliers, but no one would dare to do that. Not only would the security guards alert the coast guard, but the coast guard would detect even the slightest movement of the ship with radar tracking.

Another reason is that none of the crew would dare to do something like that in America, because they would be blacklisted, lose their certificates and the right to an American visa, which were then mandatory, which would mean that they would not be able to board anywhere in the world. and work as a sailor.

As soon as the new company paid all the expenses the ship had from the sale to the takeover, the certificates were returned and it was allowed to set sail,” said former captain Obradović.

We ask him how the seized Russian yacht Irina VU was able to set sail.

“It is really difficult to answer that question. A detailed investigation will show that, but considering the whole strange situation, it is possible that it was a combination of unfortunate circumstances for the Croatian authorities or a well-planned action by the shipowner with the help of someone from Croatia.

Everything was certainly well planned, but the question arises as to how they dared to take away the confiscated yacht, i.e. how did they know that the other harbor authorities were not informed about the seizure, so the Irina VU sailed from the Adriatic, even though she was spotted and tracked by radar and properly signed off before leaving Croatian waters.

If other harbor authorities, except the Šibenik one, had known that it was a seized vessel, the Irina VU would not have been able to leave the Adriatic. The Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure must investigate everything that happened and provide answers to your questions, because this is of interest to the public, and causes astonishment among seafarers,” he added.

Former head of SOA Letica: There is probably corruption here

Former head of SOA operations, Ante Letica, said that several elements probably came together in this case.

“It is probably, I will not say about some negligence, but indolence of state bodies and organs, there is probably also corruption in this and that is why it is necessary not only that the port captains, the port authorities, the police and so on, but also the SOA , to investigate it, to see what is negligence, irresponsibility, indolence, and what is corruption. Someone will have to answer for that,” said Letica.

He pointed out that it is strange to him how the yacht got into the sea from dry mooring.

“Then the crew was there and they sailed to Dubrovnik, completed the details that needed to be done – approvals from the port authorities, refueled, and it sailed out of Croatian territorial waters. That needs to be seen and I think that the State Attorney’s Office will give the legal qualification of that act. We need to see where there is indolence, irresponsibility, negligence of state bodies, and where there is corruption, bribery and so on, and everyone should be held accountable according to their part of responsibility,” said Letica.

He expressed the hope that everyone in the decision-making chain woke up because of this case and noticed the irregularities and gaps that need to be filled. “Now those yachts are better guarded, there are supposedly sailors there all the time who take care of maritime safety, there are also security guards, and I hope that this has now been raised to a higher level,” said Letica.

Usmanov: I’m no longer married to Irina

The reaction of Alisher Usmanov’s public relations office has since arrived following the publication of this article, we’ll transmit that press release in its entirety:

“Mr. Usmanov and Irina Viner are no longer married. Furthermore, Mr. Usmanov is not the owner of the yacht Irina VU and is in no way connected with the vessel’s disappearance from the Betina marina.

Mr. Usmanov is not an “oligarch” either – a term used to refer to businessmen who have profited through ties to the state and, more specifically, to those who participated in the privatisation of Russian state assets after the collapse of the Soviet Union. None of this applies to Mr. Usmanov, who made his fortune by creating his own companies and making very successful deals and investments on the open market.”

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Russian oligarch's yacht mysteriously disappeared from Croatian marina

Jahta, ki je v lasti ruskega oligarha in prijatelja Vladimirja Putina, je izginila. Gre za jahto Irina VU Ališerja Usmanova in njegove žene Irine, ki je zaradi ruske agresije na Ukrajino pristala pod sankcijami Evropske unije, ZDA in Velike Britanije. Da je izginila iz marine Betina na otoku Murter, pa so oblasti ugotovile šele po treh mesecih. A zgodba je še bolj nenavadna, saj je v času izginotja Irine VU v pristanišče vplula skoraj enaka drug…

Yacht of Russian oligarch close to Putin mysteriously disappeared from Croatia

Scandal with frozen Russian assets in Croatia. Yacht Irina VU, seized by the state last year, sailed out of the state and is located in Turkey! The ship of the family of a Russian oligarch and Putin's friend - was supposed to be in Betina on the island of Murter, as it is on a list of sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine. But it was there that the crew of the Diary of Nova TV found another, very similar yacht.

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Several questioned in Croatia over oligarch's missing yacht

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ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatian police on Friday brought in for questioning several people over the disappearance last October of a luxury yacht from an Adriatic Sea marina where it was held as part of Western sanctions imposed on oligarchs with links to Russian President Vladimir Putin .

The disappearance of the 35-meter Irina Vu from the marina on the island of Murter was only recently noticed and reported by local media. The yacht reportedly sailed to Turkey and another one was left in its place.

The incident has triggered public criticism of the authorities in Croatia. The luxury vessel was one of five impounded in the country because they belonged to Russia-linked tycoons who came under international sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The government has replaced officials in charge of coastal security and the Murter marina while also stepping up monitoring of the remaining yachts.

The state HRT television said the missing yacht is worth around 5 million euros ($5.44 million.) Local media have reported that it belongs to the family of Russian metals magnate Alisher Usmanov and is apparently formally registered to his wife.

Croatian police gave no details about the suspects or the investigation. The statement added that officers have been conducting searches in several locations, including the suspects' homes.

Croatia is a popular yachting destination because of its stunning coastline and hundreds of islands. Local media have also questioned how the yacht could sail all the way to Turkey without being registered and checked along the way.

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Sunseeker makes £40m investment

The british boat builder has revealed its new project investment plan and other developments at the cannes yachting festival….

Sunseeker International has invested £40m investment in new product development, employee training and production advancements, as announced at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2023. The British shipyard also revealed an order book totalling £625m (€730m).

“We enter the 2023 and 2024 boat show season in a strong position,” says company CEO, Andrea Frabetti. “We have made significant investment in our facilities and technologies, training programmes and new product development, all of which have contributed to our very strong forward order retail value.” 

The shipyard says it has made considerable improvements to its shipyards, with the expansion of its main shipyard facility in the Port of Poole now complete. The new Shed Y offers an additional production footprint at the site and is the dedicated production facility for its new model Ocean156. The first stage of production for the series is now underway. 

A year on from the announcement of Sunseeker Gulf, the shipbuilder is also set to open a new office in Dubai, UAE. “Our distribution strategy globally is on an upward trajectory which Sunseeker Gulf has played a significant part in realising,” says Fabretti. “We are immensely proud of our relationship and the professionalism and focus we are seeing from across their dedicated team.” 

The shipyard also provided an update on new products in the Ocean range. Its new Ocean 182 model has arrived in the United States, where it will debut at the Newport Boat Show in Rhode Island on September 14th, 2023. The 27m yacht features 2,060sqft of interior space with four layout options across three decks. 

“We look forward to displaying our exceptional fleet of yachts at several upcoming boat shows in Europe and the United States over coming weeks,” adds Fabretti.

Known for its sporty superyachts,  Sunseeker revealed an impressive new range of superyachts at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show . The largest is the 42m Ocean 460, which is also part of its Ocean range models.

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By Kate Kelly ,  Michael Forsythe and Julian E. Barnes

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — On a clear morning in late October, the jewel-blue hull of the Madame Gu, one of the world’s most luxurious superyachts, gleamed, its aluminum rails shimmering in the sun. Workers on the pier said they had recently seen people painting, cleaning and generally keeping the ship with its helipad and six guest staterooms in pristine condition.

In past years, such a scene would not have been noteworthy. Many superyachts come and go from Dubai’s Mina Rashid Marina, best known as the home of the Queen Elizabeth 2, the trans-Atlantic ocean liner-turned-hotel that dominates the waterfront here.

But Russia’s war in Ukraine has turned an otherwise routine tableau into a diplomatic battleground between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, an important American ally that has established itself as a safe haven for Russian money and assets out of the reach of U.S. sanctions.

The $156 million Madame Gu epitomizes the problem. In June, the United States designated the vessel, which is linked to Andrei Skoch, a Russian steel magnate and lawmaker under sanctions, as blocked property. That means the yacht cannot use American companies for its upkeep, employ U.S. citizens or even use the dollar. The Justice Department is now taking steps to seize the Madame Gu, according to people with knowledge of the plan.

But the United States can’t seize property in a sovereign nation without permission from its government. The Emirates, which has taken a friendlier position toward Moscow, is balking at cooperating with the United States to pursue oligarchs, American officials said. The Kremlin is also using oligarch-controlled companies in the Emirates to acquire war supplies that the West is trying to keep out of Russia’s reach, according to a Western official involved in the sanctions effort against Russia.

Emirati officials did not comment specifically on the Madame Gu but said in a statement that they took their role “protecting the integrity of the global financial system extremely seriously.”

A closer examination of Russian assets in the Emirates shows that even before the war in Ukraine, Dubai had become a playground for Russians with links to President Vladimir V. Putin. At least 38 businessmen or officials with ties to the Russian president own homes in Dubai that are collectively valued at more than $314 million, according to the Center for Advanced Defense Studies. Five of those owners are under U.S. sanctions.

Since the Russian invasion, Dubai has established itself as a safe haven for Russian yachts and aircraft unable to sail or fly elsewhere. After Russian jets were barred from the European Union in late February, the Emirates became the destination for 14 percent of all private flights leaving Russia, up from 3 percent before the invasion.

“It’s frustrating when you see huge assets that are sitting out there and it appears that the country is not cooperating,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, referring to the Emirates. “It would be nice if there were more common cause against Putin while he’s busy shelling hospitals and schools.”

Mr. Whitehouse is sponsoring legislation that would use proceeds of the sales of seized Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine. Senior officials at the Treasury and State Departments have also complained publicly about the situation.

U.S. officials view the presence of superyachts in places like Dubai and Bodrum, Turkey , as a symptom of wider Russian circumvention of sanctions and continued access to financial markets. Yachts have also come to symbolize the decadence of Russia’s oligarchs, especially at a time when Russian soldiers are scrounging for body armor and sleeping bags on the front lines.

Pursuing the Madame Gu

Built by the Dutch firm Feadship and put into service in 2013, the Madame Gu has a large helicopter pad on its forecastle with a hangar underneath that can double as a squash court when the chopper isn’t on board. The vessel has berthing for 36 crew members, according to one trade magazine.

Mr. Skoch, a member of Russia’s Parliament who is linked to assets worth billions of dollars, according to U.S. court filings, has had sanctions imposed on him twice by the United States, first in 2018 and then after Russia’s invasion this year. The Treasury Department has cited his “longstanding ties to Russian organized criminal groups.”

Mr. Skoch could not be reached and did not respond to messages left at his office at Parliament.

In an interview in October about the government’s broader efforts to go after the assets of oligarchs, Andrew Adams, a federal prosecutor leading the Department of Justice’s KleptoCapture task force, declined to discuss the Madame Gu. But the United States, he said, is warning companies they must not do business with individuals and assets under sanctions. The government, he said, will pursue oligarch-owned assets whose sale could be used to aid Ukraine.

“Where we know there is an asset that can potentially provide significant remuneration for Ukraine, that obviously is an attractive case to pursue,” he said.

U.S. officials are likely to use the case they made for impounding a $90 million Airbus business jet linked to Mr. Skoch in August as a blueprint for seizing the Madame Gu, said people familiar with the plan.

That means investigators will aim to show that the owner of the vessel, or the companies that have been providing services to it, have intersected with the U.S. financial system.

“If there are U.S. dollars or a U.S. nexus associated with supporting this vessel, massive enforcement actions could take place,” said Adam M. Smith, a former official overseeing sanctions at the Treasury Department. Companies that provide support to entities under sanctions could potentially face their own sanctions, said Mr. Smith, who is now a lawyer at Gibson Dunn in Washington.

This year the United States has carried out two high-profile seizures of yachts tied to Russians under sanctions, working with cooperative governments. The $300 million Amadea was taken in Fiji in May and sailed to San Diego under an American flag. In April, the United States worked with Spanish police to seize the $90 million Tango.

A Problematic Partner

Diplomatically, the Emirates has been reluctant to take a clear anti-Russian position when it comes to the war in Ukraine. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, recently met with Mr. Putin in St. Petersburg, and the Emirati foreign minister recently hosted his Russian counterpart. Yet Sheikh Mohammed has also talked with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, more than once and recently gave the country $100 million in humanitarian aid.

The United States has publicly expressed dismay over the mixed messages.

During a visit to Dubai in June, Wally Adeyemo, the U.S. deputy treasury secretary, warned of the need for vigilance and proactive steps in combating Russian evasion. That same month Barbara Leaf, the State Department’s under secretary for Near East Affairs, said at a congressional hearing that regarding the Emirates, she was “not happy at all with the record at this point” on sanctions enforcement. Mr. Adeyemo reiterated his concerns in a meeting with Emirati officials in October in Washington.

A senior State Department official said in a statement to The New York Times that the agency continues “to reinforce the importance of conducting enhanced due diligence to prevent sanctions evasion and investigating allegations of such activity” to the Emirates.

The Treasury Department declined to comment on the Madame Gu or the relationship with the Emirates.

Last month, the Treasury Department announced it had placed sanctions on an Emirates-based company, Constellation Advisors Ltd., that the American government said was operating on behalf of a nephew of another Russian oligarch, Suleiman Kerimov. Mr. Kerimov, according to American court documents, was the owner of the Amadea superyacht .

American officials are also worried the Russian government is using the Emirates to acquire military supplies for its war in Ukraine. On Nov. 15, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two Emirates-based transportation firms that had worked with another Iranian firm under sanctions, which in turn had helped transport drones and personnel from Iran to Russia.

Moored in Dubai

Based on a recent visit to Dubai’s Mina Rashid Marina , where the Madame Gu is moored, it is clear that international companies are playing a critical role in its care.

The Emirates-based company DP World, through its subsidiary P&O Marinas , oversees the pier where the Madame Gu is moored. Employees from another DP World subsidiary , World Security, staff the small guard box at the entrance. That makes DP World, which is owned by Dubai’s royal family, potentially vulnerable to American sanctions.

DP World “fully complies with all applicable local and national laws and intends to continue doing the same regarding the Madame Gu and other vessels utilizing our services,” said Adal Mirza, a spokesman for the company. He added that DP World had not yet heard from the United States or other countries that had placed Mr. Skoch under sanctions, including Britain and the European Union.

A generator set that dock workers said in late October was powering the Madame Gu — two container-like structures near its stern — bore the distinctive orange logo of Aggreko , a British company. The generator set was connected to the superyacht by thick cords; one of the containers was emitting grayish exhaust.

At the Mina Rashid Marina, soon after Aggreko was contacted by The Times, workers removed the generator. “Having identified that the generator was being used to power a vessel that is allegedly connected to a sanctioned person, we immediately terminated this rental and have since recovered the generator,” the company said in a statement.

Mr. Mirza, the DP World spokesman, said the Aggreko generator had been replaced with one from a local supplier.

P&O Marinas arranged for the diesel generator to provide power for the Madame Gu because that part of the pier, a holding area, has no shore-supplied electric power, said a port official in Dubai, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the press.

“At the end of the day, if the U.A.E. hasn’t imposed sanctions, it’s not really their job to enforce other countries’ laws within their borders,” said Nabeel Yousef, a Washington-based partner at the law firm Freshfields, where he runs the sanctions practice. Nevertheless, “companies should not take comfort in the fact that their country has not imposed sanctions,” he added, “because even the smallest connection to the U.S. can lead to U.S. penalties.”

There has also been a notable absence onboard the Madame Gu in recent weeks: a flag. Unlike other ships moored nearby, including the Quantum Blue, a superyacht linked to the billionaire Sergei Galitsky, the Madame Gu appears to be stateless, apparently having been deflagged by the Cayman Islands.

Cayman Islands officials didn’t respond to an emailed inquiry about the ship’s status.

If DP World were to face fallout from U.S. sanctions enforcers, it wouldn’t be the first time the company has been the focus of attention in Washington. In 2006, DP World was seeking to manage some terminal operations at six American ports but dropped out of the deal after a bipartisan uproar in Congress.

Anton Troianovski contributed reporting from Turin, Italy, and Oleg Matsnev from Berlin.

Kate Kelly covers money, influence, and policy as a correspondent in the Washington bureau of the Times. Before that, she spent twenty years covering Wall Street deals, key players and their intersection with politics. She is the author of three books, including "The Education of Brett Kavanaugh." More about Kate Kelly

Michael Forsythe is a reporter on the investigations team. He was previously a correspondent in Hong Kong, covering the intersection of money and politics in China. He has also worked at Bloomberg News and is a United States Navy veteran. More about Michael Forsythe

Julian E. Barnes is a national security reporter based in Washington, covering the intelligence agencies. Before joining The Times in 2018, he wrote about security matters for The Wall Street Journal. More about Julian E. Barnes

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

Ukraine fired a volley of exploding drones  at Moscow and other targets on the final day of Russia’s presidential vote, the local authorities said, continuing a flurry of attacks timed for the rubber-stamp election .

The United States and six other major world powers warned Iran not to provide ballistic missiles to Russia  to aid Moscow’s war against Ukraine and threatened to retaliate if it did by cutting off Iranian air travel to Europe, among other measures.

A U.N. commission said it had uncovered new evidence of widespread torture of Ukrainian prisoners  held by Russian security forces, detailing a range of what it described as Russian war crimes, including summary executions and sexual violence.

Targeting Russia’s Oil Industry: With its army short of ammunition and troops to break the deadlock on the battlefield, Kyiv has increasingly taken the fight beyond the Ukrainian border, attacking oil infrastructure deep in Russian territory .

Electronic Warfare: Drones have become a critical weapon for both Russia and Ukraine. But Moscow’s capability to overpower Ukrainian signals  by broadcasting on the same frequencies at higher power is putting Kyiv at a disadvantage.

Helping the War Effort: Since the early days of the war, thousands of Ukrainian volunteers have led crowdfunding efforts that have been crucial in supplying the military with equipment. But as the conflict drags on, it is becoming harder to raise money .

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

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IRINA VU yacht NOT for charter*

34.53m  /  113'3 | sunseeker | 2013.

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Special Features:

• 1,250nm range
• RINA (Registro Italiano Navale) classification
• Sleeps 10 overnight

The 34.53m/113'3" motor yacht 'Irina VU' was built by Sunseeker in the United Kingdom. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Sunseeker.

Guest Accommodation

Irina VU has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 5 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Range & Performance

Built with a GRP hull and GRP superstructure, with teak decks, she has impressive speed and great efficiency thanks to her planing hull. Powered by twin diesel MTU (16V2000M94) engines, she comfortably cruises at 19 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 26 knots with a range of up to 1,250 nautical miles from her 14,100 litre fuel tanks at 12 knots. Her water tanks store around 3,900 Litres of fresh water. She was built to RINA (Registro Italiano Navale) classification society rules.

*Charter Irina VU Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Irina VU is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Irina VU Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

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