In response to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Europe and the US agreed to international blocking measures to the assets of Russian millionaires. That measure allowed states confiscate the mansions and yachts Of the Russian magnates who were in their respective territories, something that many cities and small states have not stopped repenting due to the high cost of maintenance of the Millionaire luxury superstars Russians
The last to jump to fame for its high costs has been the Sailing Yacht aa latest generation That, with its 149 meters in length, it is considered the largest in the world, much ahead of the Koru of Jeff Bezos and its 127 meters. He Sailing Yacht a It was blocked In March 2022 when he anchored in the port of Trieste, for belonging to the Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko.
Since then, the luxury superveler has been nothing more than a headache for the mayor of Trieste, who In an interview With the local news channel Telequattro expressed restlessness for municipal coffers due to the high cost of their maintenance: “Who will pay the 30,000 euros of daily expenses?”, The indignant Italian mayor requested.
The superyate floats, but the municipal coffers sink
In the port of Trieste, the megayate Sailing Yacht aowned by the Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, has been retained for three years due to European sanctions against Russia. Far from being a source of pride or tourist curiosity, the presence of this giant of the sea has meant a huge disbursement for the city.
In the words of the mayor of the town of just over 200,000 inhabitants, Roberto Dipiazza, keeping the ship docked in its port is a daily disbursement of about 30,000 euros, together adding an invoice higher than 11 million euros Since the European authorities decreed their embargo on the Russian millionaire.
The Sailing Yacht A has 149 of length
The superveler, whose estimated value is around 600 million dollars according to The specialized pressremains in custody of the municipal authorities waiting for a definitive resolution on their destination.
However, the legal situation of Melnichenko’s sailboat is not that of a confiscated good, but An administrative block. This distinction is crucial since the Italian jurisprudence dictates that A blocked asset must be returned under the same conditions If the sanctions are raised or if the owner successfully challenges the inclusion in the list of sanctioned by Europe.
That is, the Municipal Corporation, as responsible for its Navy, must ensure its conservation While European Justice Solve its auction or return to its owner.
Maintenance only within reach of a millionaire
The 30,000 euros daily mentioned by the mayor of Trieste only ensures the essential operation for the conservation of the luxurious yacht.
During the more than a thousand days tied in the Marina de Trieste, the maintenance cost of the ship has shot over 11 million euros, although local media as Il piccolo Increase this estimate to 18 million euros.
As the Mayor Dipiazza has stressed in his television statements, the city is not responsible for the blockade of the Sailing Yacht abut responds to a European Union decision against Russian magnates close to the government of Vladimir Putin, but his presence is causing an unassumable expense for his citizens.
Sailing Yacht to anchored near the port of Trieste
The problem is repeated: the case of the Alpha Nero and the eclipse
Trieste’s case is not the only one in which the confiscation of a Russian yacht has put the local economy in check. On the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda, El Superyate Alpha Nero He became In a similar nightmare.
Only in fuel, the superyate owned by the Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev consumed 2,000 dollars of fuel daily only for keep the air conditioning in operation. This procedure is essential to prevent exclusive interior finishes in noble and metal woods deteriorating through the saltpeter of the sea and moisture. In that case, the weekly maintenance bill reached $ 28,000.
The long judicial blockade for the ownership of the ship prevented the sale or auction of the yacht for monthswhich forced Antillean taxpayers to pay crew, fuel and maintenance expenses. When finally It was sold For 40 million dollars, the authorities recognized that this money would serve to cover “the huge hole that the superyte has left in the public coffers of the small Caribbean island,” in words of the Secretary of Cabinet of Antigua Lionel Hurst.
He SUPERY Eclipseowned by the billionaire Roman Abramovich, is another example of the high cost of these superyates confiscations. He Eclipse He was docked for more than three years in Muğla, Türkiye. Your engines never turned offsince its generators had to stay at 24 hours to keep the air conditioning system into operation.
In this case, the Eclipse registered a consumption of 1,000 liters of daily fuelwhich does not only imply an economic cost but also affects the environmental pollution of cities by CO2 that their engines, in permanent functioning, pour to the atmosphere.
In the case of Sailing Yacht ahe High price of maintenance Not only is it given by fuel consumption, but also including the ship’s bearing expenses, the salary of the minimum crew on board to operate maintenance systems, safety patrols that monitor the superveler and The mandatory insurance that must cover all the boats.
Image | Flickr (Paul Fenton, Adrianovero), Wikimedia Commons (Maximum marmur)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings