War in Ukraine: Italy freezes the yacht of an oligarch close to Vladimir Putin

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko's yacht, pictured here in Trieste, is considered the largest in the world.

AFP - JURE MAKOVEC

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Italian authorities have frozen a super yacht belonging to Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko and anchored at the port of Trieste.

Close to Vladimir Putin, the oligarch was blacklisted by the European Union following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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With our correspondent in Rome,

After freezing assets worth 143 million euros, including grandiose villas in Sardinia belonging to Russian oligarchs, the Italian financial police are not a little proud to have seized

yacht , moored at the port of Trieste.

She sent all the press agencies photos and videos showing this sailing and motor yacht, considered the largest in the world.

143 meters long, it was designed by the French designer Philippe Stark and its value is estimated at 530 million euros.

Financial police said Andrey Melnichenko owned the yacht, through a company based in Bermuda.

This multi-billionaire coal and fertilizer magnate, whose name has been blacklisted by the European Union, is part of Vladimir Putin's closest circle.

The super yacht had been anchored in the port of Trieste in November 2021 for work entrusted to the Fincantieri group.

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