Kathrine Frich
The high-end vessel is now heading straight for Turkey.
When international pressure tightens, the world’s ultra-wealthy often look for a safe place to park their most prized possessions.
Moving massive luxury assets across global waters requires careful timing and stealth.
For those close to the Kremlin, the destination of choice seems to be shifting south.
Shifting south
A second luxury superyacht tied to the inner circle of Russian leader Vladimir Putin has quietly slipped out of Russian waters. The high-end vessel is now heading straight for Turkey according to United24Media.
Marine tracking data revealed the sudden movement on June 30, according to a report by the independent investigative outlet Verstka. This journey mirrors another recent, high-profile escape by a Kremlin-linked boat.
Just days earlier, an 82-meter superyacht called the Graceful left the Baltic Sea. It began a long, tense journey around Western Europe, also setting its sights on Istanbul.
A quiet escape
The latest ship to make a run for it is the Victoria, a massive 71-meter luxury vessel. It departed from the scenic coast of Russia’s Krasnodar Krai on June 26.
By June 28, tracking data from Marine Traffic showed the yacht passing through the Bosphorus Strait. It paused briefly in Istanbul’s Pendik district before continuing toward the resort city of Bodrum.
On paper, the Victoria is worth about $30 million and belongs to corporate structures owned by billionaire oligarch Gennady Timchenko. Timchenko is a well-known close friend of the Russian president.
However, investigations by the Dossier Center show the ship is actually used by Putin’s immediate circle. Verstka reported that this group regularly includes Alina Kabaeva and her friends.
Under heavy guard
Moving these multi-million-dollar vessels safely has become a highly coordinated military operation. When the Graceful made its move through Baltic waters, it did not travel alone.
A Russian navy destroyer and a specialized rescue ship escorted the superyacht. The ship even turned on its tracking transponder for the first time since 2022 while passing Germany and Denmark.
The tracking went dark again near Norway after international media noticed the movement. Still, the heavily armed naval escort remained completely visible to maritime monitors.
These sudden voyages come amid intense global legal battles over frozen Russian assets. A recent Florida lawsuit even accused the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda of taking a $6 million bribe during a yacht sale to a Turkish company.
Sources: Verstka, Marine Traffic, Dossier Center, United24Media
