Russian businessman’s yacht burned hours after it was seized: photos

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that by seizing the ship, authorities have turned “an icon of Russia’s power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies”. The West has imposed sanctions and seized their assets on Russian elites and oligarchs to pressure the country to stop the invasion of Ukraine. Shapps said in mid-March the UK was “investigating a small number of yachts docked in this country” with suspected links to Russian oligarchs.

Source: National Crime Agency, Insider

Insider visited the wharf where the yacht, Phi, was docked hours after the UK announced the seizure.

The ship was brightly lit, with external blue and yellow strip lights.

There were also little lights that looked like stars on the covered deck ceiling.

With its bright lights, the ship was far from inconspicuous…

…especially compared to the other much smaller boats docked nearby, which were not lit.

Phi seemed quiet when I came to visit at 10pm on Tuesday evening. There was no one on deck and no visible security. This surprised me because some other yachts owned by Russian oligarchs have been targeted by activists protesting the invasion of Ukraine.

Source: Insider

Other people walked past the boat when I was there without paying attention. They may not have known that this was the first superyacht to be detained in British waters under government sanctions against Russia.

Source: Insider

The only other person interested in Phi was a tourist who asked if I could take a picture of him with the yacht.

“Vessels are not required to keep lights on once moored at the dock,” Benjamin Maltby, a partner at Keystone Law who specializes in superyachts, told Insider. “The ship’s insurance may require the crew to remain on board at all times, and having the lights on makes moving around at night easier and safer.”