The gigayacht Scherazade, docked at Marina di Carrara, has been seized by the Guardia di Finanza as part of the sanctions against Russia triggered by its invasion of the Ukraine. According to many, this yacht belongs to Russian President, Vladimir Putin. But the mystery remains.

Let’s start with the news. The Italian Sea Group announced in an official release that “the Guardia di Finanza in Massa Carrara has executed the 9 May 2022 decree issued by the Ministry of Economy and Finance on the seizure of assets, pursuant to Art. 4-Bis Leg. Dcr. Num. 109/2007, as per the financial security committee based in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which has declared the seizure of the vessel, Scherazade IMO 9809980.”

The yacht, therefore, has been hit by the seizure of assets which is part of the sanctions against Russia, as has happened to other vessels belonging to Russian oligarchs. “The Italian Sea Group – continues the company’s release – also confirms that this event has no impact on the business, which will continue to run as usual and will work in partnership with the authorities.”

Over the last few hours, a number of newspapers have described Scherazade as “Putin’s yacht.” This rumour has been around for a while, at least since 2020, when the 140 metre gigayacht, built by Lurssen, estimated to be worth 700 million dollars, was delivered to its owner. Officially the owner is Eduard Khudainatov, the former president of the Russian energy company, Rosneft and currently and energy investor.

And yet, suspicions began almost immediately, claiming that Scherazade was “Putin’s boat.” So much so that when sanctions were first talked about against Russia, along with seizure of assets, many immediately looked to the gigayacht docked in the Tuscan marina. At the end of March, however, The Italian Sea Group issued a press release stating that the Scherazade did not belong to Vladimir Putin. The mystery has yet to be resolved.

Photo source: superyachtfan.com