A £38million superyacht, which is said to belong to a Russian oligarch, is back in the UK a year after being seized. The vessel, apparently owned by Vitaly Vasilievich Kochetkov, is moored in Canary Wharf, east London.
Superyacht Phi was seized last year by UK authorities after restrictions were placed on Russians following the invasion of Ukraine.
One year ago, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that officials had boarded Phi.
Speaking last year, he said: “We’ve detained a £38million superyacht and turned an icon of Russia’s power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies.
“Detaining the Phi proves, yet again, that we can and will take the strongest possible action against those seeking to benefit from connections to Putin’s regime.”
The boat is 58.5 metres long and features on board include an “infinite wine cellar” and a freshwater swimming pool.
The Government described the yacht’s ownership as “deliberately well hidden”.
Daily Mirror reports that it is registered to a company based in Saint Kitts and Nevis and carries a Maltese flag.
It is reported that the bright blue boat is owned by Russian Vitaly Vasilievich Kochetkov. They were not on the UK sanctions list as of March 30, 2022.
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