Mega-Yacht Belonging To Ukrainian Oligarch Close To Putin Spotted Under NATO's Nose

One of Ukraine’s richest oligarchs with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin is on the run, but a mega-yacht belonging to him has been found. The twist? It was sitting right under NATO's nose.

Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian millionaire and lawmaker, was accused of treason and placed under house arrest last year after President Volodomyr Zelensky launched a crackdown on pro-Russia networks inside Ukraine. But with the start of Putin’s war against Ukraine on Feb. 24, Medvedchuk appears to have slipped out of Kyiv as bombs and missiles fell on the city.

Medvedchuk’s location is currently unknown, but the New York Post reported on Tuesday that a mega-yacht belonging to him was docked off the coast of Croatia, a NATO member-state in the Balkans. The $200 million vessel dubbed the Royal Romance was photographed at the port town of Rijeka by a local resident who shared a picture with the media outlet.

The Royal Romance is something of an estate on the sea. According to the vessel's designer, the Netherlands-based Feadship, it boasts a 40-foot long swimming pool that connects to an onboard waterfall. The vessel reportedly also sports a beauty salon, an elevator and a beach club among other amenities.

According to Forbes magazine, Medvedchuk has a net worth of about $620 million. He is also known to be close to Putin, who is the godfather of his daughter. A media mogul in charge of a pro-Russia opposition faction, Medvedchuk came under internal sanctions in February 2021 and saw three of his television channels shut down. He was arrested on charges of treason last May.

Medvedchuk also has fallen under U.S sanctions since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula. His vessel’s presence at a dock belonging to a NATO member, however, raises questions about whether it will be seized like other yachts belonging to pro-Putin elites worldwide, or if it is a clue to his whereabouts.

After President Joe Biden and his European counterparts announced broad sanctions against the Russian oligarchs believed to be close to Putin, several tried to create distance between themselves and the Kremlin. Others have taken steps to secure their wealth or assets overseas in anticipation of further sanctions.

A number of Russian oligarchs began moving their yachts from Western ports to jurisdictions where they would be less likely to be seized, including the Maldives. Others, including Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, started selling their assets before they could be seized by authorities. One of Putin’s chief allies, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, reportedly ordered his yacht to flee France for Turkey to escape capture.

In his State of the Union address, Biden announced last Tuesday that the U.S. would be targeting the “ill-gotten gains” of Russian oligarchs to a round of applause. A day later, the Department of Justice announced the launch of a task force to carry out the order under the name “KleptoCapture.”