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Most recents (18)
Another bit of #YachtWatch news: a yacht belonging to Teodoro Obiang the Younger, VP of Equatorial Guinea and son of its dictator, Teodoro Obiang the Elder, has been seized in South Africa. 1/
superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/equ…
superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/equ…
The yacht, BLUE SHADOW, is 67m long and was built in 1994. Not sure of its price, but it looks like it was available for charter for 180,000 euros a week 2/
yachtcharterfleet.com/luxury-charter…
yachtcharterfleet.com/luxury-charter…
South Africa seized the yacht due to a lawsuit by a businessman who claims he was illegally detained in Equatorial Guinea for 500 days after a business deal went south. The court agreed and ordered the yacht seized. 3/
Fascinating investigation into influence mercenaries for hire. There are lots of stories from partner pubs, but the bottom line is: Team Jorge peddles disinfo and influence ops for money and has had its fingers in dozens of elections, but also other viral campaigns. A thread. 1/
First, I recommend this video from @guardian with @manisha_bot for a brief overview. 2/
theguardian.com/world/video/20…
theguardian.com/world/video/20…
A team of undercover journalists met with Team Jorge, and "Jorge" boasted about the company's capabilities, even providing examples of their successes, noting, for example, their involvement in dozens of elections. 3/
Quick update: the yacht captain who was arrested for helping Viktor Vekselberg evade sanctions involving his yacht TANGO has been released by Spanish authorities. The court took his passport and he has to check in every two weeks while they work out extradition #YachtWatch 1/
According to the DOJ indictment, the yacht captain, Richard Masters, used his yacht management company Master Yachts to help Vekselberg evade sanctions. 3/ justice.gov/opa/pr/arrest-…
Here's an interesting #YachtWatch tidbit:
Nautilus International, a union for those working in the maritime sector, helped recover a record amount of money for members for unpaid wages and benefits in 2022. 1/
nautilusint.org/en/news-insigh…
Nautilus International, a union for those working in the maritime sector, helped recover a record amount of money for members for unpaid wages and benefits in 2022. 1/
nautilusint.org/en/news-insigh…
The organization says the high amount is partially attributed to the number of people now working in the super yacht sector. But then there is also this: many crew members on Russian-owned yachts couldn't get their money. 2/ 
We already knew that Nautilus helped crew members on Roman Abramovich's ECLIPSE. Not sure how those payments are being made, but ECLIPSE enjoyed a summer of cruising in Turkey. 3/
nautilusint.org/en/news-insigh…
nautilusint.org/en/news-insigh…
🚨NEW 🚨 We're delighted to welcome on board the brilliant @alexzfinley, former CIA officer & current @allthecitizens yacht watcher, based in Barcelona
Alex will tell the story of the oligarchs, corruption (and how we enable it), one yacht at a time ⛵️
#YachtWatch #YachtTok
Alex will tell the story of the oligarchs, corruption (and how we enable it), one yacht at a time ⛵️
#YachtWatch #YachtTok
@alexzfinley A court in Fiji has paused the execution of a US warrant to seize a $300m #yacht Washington says is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov
aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/9/…
aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/9/…
Quick #YachtWatch update!
AMADEA, owned by sanctioned oligarch Suleiman Kerimov is in Fiji. According to the Fiji Times, authorities were aware she was coming, but so far there is little news about whether she will be resupplied. 1/ fijitimes.com/amadea-is-here…
AMADEA, owned by sanctioned oligarch Suleiman Kerimov is in Fiji. According to the Fiji Times, authorities were aware she was coming, but so far there is little news about whether she will be resupplied. 1/ fijitimes.com/amadea-is-here…
Oleg Deripaska's CLIO is pinging again, now in the Suez Canal, and is heading to Gocek, Turkey (same place where Abramovich's ECLISPE and SOLARIS are). 2/
Two other oligarch yachts, ROMEA and POLARIS, are also in the Gocek area (neither owner is currently under sanction). The yacht RAHIL last pinged in Tuzla, near Istanbul, in mid-March. Her owner, Arkady Rotenberg, is sanctioned (EU, US, UK, Switzerland). 3/
Hello #YachtWatch -ers! Time for a quick summary of some news tidbits. First up: I got to see CRESCENT again. She hasn’t moved from Port Tarraco in Tarragona, Spain. And apparently her crew has not moved either. 1/
Indeed, the crew were hard at work keeping the yacht sparkling clean. I mean, look at that reflection. 2/
It remains unclear who, if anyone, is paying this crew for their hard work. 3/
This FT story is chock full o’ fun. It is not directly related to #YachtWatch, but my weird obsession w/ oligarch yachts grew out of my research into Russian influence operations. 1/
ft.com/content/bd74a5…
ft.com/content/bd74a5…
It also provides a nice primer for my upcoming book (which is much funnier to read than anything the FT could write). Let’s dig in. 2/
The FT opens with a story that is sure to become a classic: A Russian intelligence officer caught on camera handling his source in Slovakia. 3/
NORD is fast making her way to Vladivostok. She last pinged 18 hours ago, cruising at 15 knots for her new home port. #YachtWatch 1/
AMADEA has not pinged in two days, since she left Mexico heading for Fiji (likely to resupply before heading up to Vladivostok). 2/
Not a whole lot of pinging going on for those yachts already in the Indian Ocean and Dubai, with the exception of CLOUDBREAK (which pinged today). 3/
Good morning. A quick #YachtWatch summary after the events of yesterday. We are now at 9 yachts detained (I think I counted right this time), with Italy and Spain in the lead with 3 each. Here's the list:
ITALY:
LENA (Timchenko)
LADY M (Mordashov)
SAILING YACHT A (Melnichenko) 1/
ITALY:
LENA (Timchenko)
LADY M (Mordashov)
SAILING YACHT A (Melnichenko) 1/
Spain:
VALERIE (Chemezov)
CRESCENT (maybe SECHIN? still unclear)
LADY ANASTASIA (Mikheev)
France:
AMORE VERO (Sechin)
Germany:
DILBAR (Usmanov)
Croatia:
ROYAL ROMANCE (Medvedchuk) 2/
VALERIE (Chemezov)
CRESCENT (maybe SECHIN? still unclear)
LADY ANASTASIA (Mikheev)
France:
AMORE VERO (Sechin)
Germany:
DILBAR (Usmanov)
Croatia:
ROYAL ROMANCE (Medvedchuk) 2/
At the top of the oligarch leaderboard is IGOR SECHIN, who has had two yachts detained (if it is confirmed CRESCENT is his). Congratulations, Igor!
Let's check in with some of our favorite yachts that are on the move... 3/
Let's check in with some of our favorite yachts that are on the move... 3/
EU is doing another round of sanctions. Included on the list is Roman Abramovich. Let’s do a #YachtWatch check in. 1/ politico.eu/article/eu-san…
SOLARIS recently left Montenegro (where it had gone likely to refuel). Not sure where she is heading now. Montenegro had announced it would follow EU sanctions, so Solaris kinda had to go. 2/
Abramovich’s other yacht [insert eye roll emoji] Eclipse is in the Mediterranean, just north of Algeria. Is it me or does she look to be hugging the North Africa coast more than the Spanish coast? Anyway… 3/
#Russia oligarchs #YachtWatch map v18:
-ECLIPSE is crossing Gibraltar now
-MY SOLARIS reached Tivat, Montenegro a #NATO country...
-❌ added on "SAILING YACHT A" 🇮🇹👊🍾
-NORD has left the Seychelles sailing ... well, north.
Keep the pressure up
#Ukraine #Sanctions
+ short🧵
-ECLIPSE is crossing Gibraltar now
-MY SOLARIS reached Tivat, Montenegro a #NATO country...
-❌ added on "SAILING YACHT A" 🇮🇹👊🍾
-NORD has left the Seychelles sailing ... well, north.
Keep the pressure up
#Ukraine #Sanctions
+ short🧵
Been asked a lot about AIS, why some times positions aren't transmitted, if it is legal or if it is evidence of occultation attempts a couple of points:
-Many vessels don't have satellite AIS but rely on radio transmission which simply won't reach far enough to be received by ground stations. So when positions stop updating at sea, its often perfectly normal
#Satellite investigations around #Ukraine crisis has many facets, opportunities & problems.
Short thread on potential for more research & findings
#OSINT, #Intelligence, #Ukraine️
#Journalism
Short thread on potential for more research & findings
#OSINT, #Intelligence, #Ukraine️
#Journalism
1) Most obvious: Showing the sheer extent of destruction from high-res satellite images. Like here (my video eval video) on a destroyed warehouse in Stoyanka, Kyiv region. Maxar, March 10.
2) Satellite images can also help to dismiss #disinformation. Fake posts claimed that the warehouse in Stoyanka exploded/burned up in 2015. That's impossible. We see it untouched on dated images inf 2019 & April 2020 on Google Earth
Good tool: livingatlas.arcgis.com/wayback
Good tool: livingatlas.arcgis.com/wayback
at 10.52 pm on thursday 10 March, Roman Abramovich's yacht "My Solaris" is still in full Italian waters, in front of Syracuse (37.04223 ° / 15.86757 °)
on @LaStampa
lastampa.it/esteri/2022/03…
on @LaStampa
lastampa.it/esteri/2022/03…
Cc/ @Armarosono
at 8.38 am on Friday the yacht My Solaris - of the owner of the company that supplies steel to the army of Criminal Putin - is still in Italian waters, not far from Crotone, Calabria, probably headed for Montenegro, where he expects to find comfortable protection
Good morning, Oligarch #YachtWatch fans! I thought it would be a good idea to start the week off with a summary of where things float at the moment.
1. Four yachts were "frozen" last week. NB: not "seized" because it's not like the government took control and can sell them. 1/
1. Four yachts were "frozen" last week. NB: not "seized" because it's not like the government took control and can sell them. 1/
It's just that no one can access or use the yachts. So for now, they are just sitting there taking up space. Those four yachts are:
*Dilbar (Usmanov, Germany). Reportedly, the crew has been dismissed and all work on the yacht has stopped.
*Amore Vero (Sechin, France) 2/
*Dilbar (Usmanov, Germany). Reportedly, the crew has been dismissed and all work on the yacht has stopped.
*Amore Vero (Sechin, France) 2/
*Lady M (Mordashov, Italy) (Note: Mordashov's other yacht, Nord, was last seen in the Seychelles)
*Lena (Timchenko, Italy) 3/
*Lena (Timchenko, Italy) 3/
Assets seized under new sanctions against Russia, a thread 🧵:
1. $600 million, 512-foot super yacht belonging to Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
🛳 Seized by authorities in Hamburg, Germany.
forbes.com/sites/giacomot…
🛳 Seized by authorities in Hamburg, Germany.
forbes.com/sites/giacomot…
2. A 127-meter Russian cargo ship transporting cars bound for Saint Petersburg.
⚓️ Seized by French authorities in the English Channel.
cnbc.com/2022/02/26/rus…
⚓️ Seized by French authorities in the English Channel.
cnbc.com/2022/02/26/rus…
Another update for #YachtWatch fans:
SOLARIS is still in Barcelona. I went down to the port today. No movement. Just a giant fucking boat at the dock in the shipyard. It's hard to capture the size, but this thing is massive. 1/
SOLARIS is still in Barcelona. I went down to the port today. No movement. Just a giant fucking boat at the dock in the shipyard. It's hard to capture the size, but this thing is massive. 1/
Reminder: SOLARIS is 140m (461 ft.) long. So, longer than a football field. But who's measuring? (the oligarchs are definitely measuring). 2/
Here's one more from the back.
My precious is still here. 3/
My precious is still here. 3/
Hey, #YachtWatch fans! I've got a "how it started, how it's going" for you.
Remember Galactica Super Nova (still a stupid fucking name), believed to be owned by Russian oligarch Vagit Alekperov, president of Lukoil?
Welp... She's gone. 1/
Remember Galactica Super Nova (still a stupid fucking name), believed to be owned by Russian oligarch Vagit Alekperov, president of Lukoil?
Welp... She's gone. 1/
Looks like she left Barcelona yesterday. She is believed to be heading to Montenegro. Notably, Montenegro is not a member of the EU. Montenegro is also on the way to the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. Just saying. 2/
Montenegro recently built a new port to attract mega yachts.
Montenegro might want to keep in mind, however, that its accession to the EU is currently scheduled for 2025. Just saying. 3/
Montenegro might want to keep in mind, however, that its accession to the EU is currently scheduled for 2025. Just saying. 3/
