Article author:
Associated Press
Isabel Debre
United Arab Emirates, Dubai (AP) — Sophisticated $ 156 million superyacht owned by licensed Russian oligarchs and parliamentarians The yacht has anchored in the latest Dubai. It reminds us that the emirate, studded with skyscrapers, has become a paradise for Russia's money as Moscow fights Ukraine.
Madame Goo, 98 meters (324 feet) with helicopter pads, gym, beach club and elevator, remained moored from Port Rashid, Dubai on Thursday. United States and United Arab Emirates.
With an eye-catching blue hull and an annual painting price of $ 1 million, the ship is by Andrei Skoch, one of the wealthiest men in Duma, Russia. I own it. According to Forbes, the property of Scotch, the king of steel, is valued at about $ 6.6 billion. Attempts to contact Skoch for comment were unsuccessful.
The presence of Madamgu in Dubai is increasing, just as the licensed Russian billionaire Andrei Melnicenko's Motor Yacht A is anchored in the United Arab Emirates in Ras Al Khaimah. Despite the coercion, Russia's Oligarchs show that they have parked their assets in the United Arab Emirates. Sanctions and US pressure will increase to its Gulf Arab allies to follow.
The U.S. Treasury first sanctioned Scotch for his role in government in 2018, "to lead a long-standing relationship with Russian organized crime groups, one such company. Including the time spent on. " Earlier this month, the Treasury designated Madame Goo and his helicopter, banning American entities from trading with superyachts. Skoch is also licensed by the European Union.
Madame Goo, registered in the Cayman Islands, raised the Emirati flag on Thursday when Associated Press journalists observed the ship. This is a dramatic wealth show comparable to Dubai's famous Queen Elizabeth 2. From the cruise ship that floats right next to it to the hotel. It was also moored right next to the $ 200 million mega yacht Dubai owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Almaktoum, the ruler of the city-state.
Planet Labs PBC satellite images show Madamgu moored at Port Rashid since March 25th.
The United Arab Emirates, home to the glamorous Dubai and oil-rich Abu Dhabi, participated in the Moscow war and welcomed the influx of Russian funds into beachfront villas and luxury hotels. .. The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Ukrainian invasion has caused Russia's wealthiest businessmen and politicians to scramble to save valuable assets from the expanding dragnet. rice field. The superyacht associated with Russia's oligarchs played a very important role in the Western crackdown aimed at putting pressure on President Vladimir Putin to change the course of Ukraine.
European and other regional authorities have seized a yacht owned by a sanctioned Russian billionaire on the US sanctions list. Earlier this month, for example, the United States won a court battle in Fiji and confiscated a $ 325 million Russian-owned superyacht. According to the White House, other US allies, including Germany, Britain, France and Italy, are trying to collect information on sanctioned Russians and share it with Washington.
The United Arab Emirates, one of the declining countries in which Russians can fly directly, imposes sanctions on Moscow or emigrates to the emirate. Choosed not to freeze the assets of Russian billionaires.
So far, superyachts and private planes associated with wealthy Russians have avoided surveillance in countries that have long earned foreign currency, whether legal or not. ..
But their increasingly visible presence seems to frustrate Washington.
At a house hearing on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Reef acknowledged that the UAE has become a safe haven for Russian oligarchs associated with Putin.
"I'm not completely happy with the record at this point. I'm going to prioritize this and promote better alignment," said the former ambassador of the United Arab Emirates.
Deputy Finance Secretary Wally Adeemo, one of the leading US coordinators on Russia's sanctions strategy, visited Dubai and Abu Dhabi this week to meet with Emiratis financial officials.
At a bank roundtable, he begged for increased vigilance.
"Despite this commitment (to prevent money laundering), the UAE (and other global financial hubs) continue to face the threat of illegal financial flows," Finance said. According to the ministry's information, he said.
Adeyemo warned of the challenges that emerged during the war with Ukraine. "To both governments trying to hold Russia accountable and to financial institutions like you responsible for implementing the financial sanctions we impose."
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The Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.