£500 Million Superyacht Has Been Seized By Authorities After Claims It Belongs To Putin

A £500 million superyacht has been seized by Italian authorities.

The Scheherazade has been dubbed 'Putin's yacht' by locals, although the captain has denied that it is owned by the Russian President.

The 459ft vessel boasts six decks, two helipads, a self-playing piano and a tiled dancefloor that turns into a pool when lowered. 

There’s also a sophisticated security system onboard that can shoot down drones, not to mention a pool table, five-metre aquarium and four-and-a-half-metre-wide TV, according to The Sun.

Bathrooms on the superyacht are reportedly kitted out with gold taps and toilet roll holders.

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Authorities are currently holding the Scheherazade in Marina di Carrara after an investigation linked the superyacht to ‘prominent elements of the Russian government’, according to a statement from Italy's finance ministry.

The statement did not name the yacht's owner, but added that the ministry had asked the EU for the individual to be added to the list of sanctioned Russians

The yacht underwent repairs earlier this week while stationed in its dry dock and, according to the Sun, authorities were concerned it would then flee the harbour so as to avoid EU sanctions.

It has long been speculated the yacht is owned by Vladimir Putin.

However, the vessel's captain Guy Bennett-Pearce has previously denied that the Russian President is the owner, telling the New York Times: "I have never seen him. I have never met him."

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A spokesperson for Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance told the Sun: “The boat, flying the flag of the Cayman Islands and moored in Marina di Carrara, had long been under the attention of the competent authorities.”

UNILAD has approached Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance for comment.

It follows the news that the United States government is hoping to sell off seized Russian oligarchs’ assets to fund their £26 billion Ukraine aid package. 

At a news conference in New York this month, Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, said: "Ukraine needs all the help it can get and, at the same time, we need all the assets we can put together to give Ukraine the aid it needs.

"It's time for sanctioned Russian oligarchs to be held accountable for the ill-gotten wealth that they have received.”

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