Russian super yachts go dark to avoid capture

 Washington Examiner:

At least six Russian-owned superyachts went dark to avoid capture after several Russian oligarchs' superyachts were seized in a number of Western countries, according to a new report.

At least six superyachts with ties to Russia have shut off their automatic identification system, according to a Saturday report by the Guardian. Industrialist Oleg Deripaska's Clio went dark on April 18, oligarch Viktor Rashnikov's Ocean Victory went dark on March 1, oligarch Vagit Alekperov's Galactica Super Nova went dark on March 2, Andrey Guryev's Alfa Nero went dark on March 3, Andrey Melnichenko's Motor Yacht A went dark on March 10, and cigarette tycoon Igor Kesaev's My Sky went dark on March 30.

"We were told to turn off the AIS. We removed the screws on the power plug and pulled it out," one member of a crew on a superyacht linked to a Russian oligarch sanctioned by the United Kingdom reported to the Observer.

The AIS should always be on when ships are under way or at anchor, international maritime rules state. Vessels with at least 300 gross tonnage all need the system, maintained by radio and satellites, on board. The system can be turned off when in port.

Thirteen superyachts with ties to Russia have been seized since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. The Dilbar, a 510-foot vessel valued as high as $750 million and owned by metals and mining magnate Alisher Usmanov, was forced to moor in Germany after its captain and crew jumped ship. Usmanov, a Uzbekistan-born friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been sanctioned by the West. The world's largest yacht, worth $750 million and measuring over 500 feet long, was seized by German authorities after it was confirmed to be linked to Russian billionaire Usmanov.

...

As someone who has done a lot of sailing, I still don't understand why someone would want their own cruise ship which requires a large crew and cost an exorbitant amount to go from one harbor to another. It must be a thing for an nearly landlocked country like Russia.

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