A yacht linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin has been spotted at the port of Severomorsk, near Murmansk, Danish public broadcaster DR has found.
The Graceful and the warship Voyevoda, which escorted it, are both visible in satellite images of the port taken on July 5. DR also reported that the Voyevoda, which had been traveling with its transponder switched off, briefly turned it on while roughly 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Severomorsk.
The convoy was spotted off the Danish coast in late June, transmitting a message indicating it was allegedly headed to Istanbul. It then passed along the Norwegian coast into Russian waters, according to DR.
Experts believe the Graceful — renamed Kosatka after the start of the war — was sent to Severomorsk to protect it from Ukrainian drone attacks. A source who spoke to DR said the yacht may have needed repairs but considered the drone protection explanation more plausible.
The 82-meter Graceful is considered the second-largest yacht (after the 140-meter Scheherazade) used by the Russian president. It has previously been spotted several times in Sochi when Putin was there. The yacht’s value is estimated at $100–120 million.
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