An investigation has exposed a $50 million luxury yacht linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin, frequented by his long-time lover, Alina Kabaeva.
The Dossier Center, a project launched by Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky, found that the 71-meter vessel named Victoria has been docked at a shipyard in Istanbul since late October.
According to the project’s source, the ninth luxury superyacht of this type was found to be related to the Russian president. According to the investigation, it is lately being repaired at a shipyard owned by NATO member Turkey.
We found the secret yacht of Vladimir Putin docked at a naval shipyard of a NATO (!) country. How is this possible and what does it tell us about the character of his regime? ? Read on to find out (and see pictures) – 1/18 pic.twitter.com/RhIzjmFbz3
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s email for comment.
A photo of the yacht’s interior shows a black, white and brown themed entertainment area, adorned with a giant crescent-shaped sofa, columns, mirrored ceilings and skylights.
Another photo shows a minimalist bedroom that includes a huge circular bed raised on a stage below a mirrored ceiling, as well as a large TV and a work space. A second bedroom is fitted with a large bed, mahogany bedside tables and a sofa positioned against the wall.
Seeing what it looks like from the inside, who will be tempted?15/18 pic. twitter. com/pCCQ6YLqKd
The dispatch is reportedly the official best friend recorded on a call from a relative of Russian billionaire Gennady Timchenko, the Russian president’s longtime best friend.
Construction of the Victoria began at the Russian shipyard Sevmash in 2005 and was completed in 2019. Its completion was delayed especially because Sergei Maslov, an acquaintance of Timchenko’s, stopped paying for it.
Khodorkovsky said in a thread on
“But although Putin’s call does not appear anywhere in the Victoria documents, there is sufficient evidence that it is one of his private boats,” he said.
“First of all, it is unlikely that anyone else will be able to order a yacht from a Russian military shipbuilder specializing in nuclear submarines,” Khodorkovsky explained. “In addition, the yacht is founded in Sochi, along with the rest of Putin’s ships. in the Black Sea, and visits Cape Idokopas in Gelendzhik, where Putin’s palace is located, occasionally accompanied by other ships known to belong to Putin. “
The list of crew of the Victoria contains the names of several sailors known to have worked on other boats linked to Putin and his inner circle, he said.
Khodorkovsky added that the Dossier Center also discovered Victoria at the bottom of a rhythmic gymnast carried by Natalya Belugina, a close friend of Putin’s alleged mistress, Kabaeva.
“The Dossier source said that Kabaeva was on holiday at Victoria with her friends and family,” Khodorkovsky said.
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Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek journalist based in Kuala Lumpur. She most recently focuses on the war between Russia and Ukraine and has covered human rights issues in her previous roles. Isabel joined Newsweek in 2021 and in the past she has worked with media outlets including the Daily Express, The Times, Harper’s BAZAAR and Grazia. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism from City University of London and a BA in Russian language from QMUL. Languages: English, Russian
You can get in touch with Isabel by emailing [email protected] handle: @isabelvanbrugen