'Mysterious' $700m Superyacht Docked In Italy Belongs To Russia's Putin: Report

Superyacht of Italy: The Yacht, a six-deck vessel, has two helicopter landing pads. It can host up to 18 guests and 40 crew.

A multi-million-dollar mega yacht Scheherazade, docked at the Tuscan port (File photo: AFP)

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing deepening crisis between Ukraine and Russia, the speculations are rife that the most infamous yacht in Italy could belong to Russian president Vladimir Putin, as reported by the news agency AFP.

The Yacht, a six-deck vessel, has two helicopter landing pads. It can host up to 18 guests and 40 crew. Its owner has never been publicly identified, but there are persistent rumors in the media that it belongs to Putin or a member of his inner circle. An organization founded by Putin's critic Alexei Navalny released a report on Monday saying it had evidence that the luxurious boat belonged to the Russian leader.

Earlier, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Italy to seize the alleged Yacht worth about $700 million, said Putin and his wealthy supporters often went to Italy on vacation and that all their assets should be confiscated to pressure them to end Ukraine's invasion.

The group said that many of those handling the Yacht are employed in Russia's Federal Security Service (FSO). They are responsible for the security of the Russian President. An Italian police source told Reuters on Tuesday that investigators did not believe the yacht was owned by anyone in Putin's family. However, the source said that the government is still trying to find out who the owner was.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi told parliament on Tuesday that his government has seized more than 800 million euros in assets owned by Russian businessmen in Italy under EU sanctions targeting Putin, his friends and allies.