Ukraine war
He is one of Putin’s closest circle: oligarch Melnichenko railed against the confiscation of his $ 600 million yacht
Confiscated in Italy since March 11, 2022: The world’s largest sailing yacht “SY A” by Andrei Igorevich Melnichenko.
© rtn, peter wuest / Picture Alliance
Now it happened: After the EU had put Andrei Igorevich Melnichenko on the sanctions list, Italian authorities confiscated his sailing yacht “A” in the port of Trieste on Friday evening. A spokesman addressed the star: “We believe that common sense will prevail.”
600 million US dollars – that’s how much the Russian businessman Andrei Igorevich Melnichenko paid the Nobiskrug shipyard for the construction of his sailing yacht “A” (IMO 1012141). At the end of 2021, the gigantic ship headed for the port of Trieste – maintenance work was due. When the Russian invasion of Ukraine started almost three weeks ago, the ship was still in Italian waters. And earlier this week, the European Union added Melnichenko to the list of sanctioned oligarchs. The consequence: The “A” is confiscated with immediate effect.
Already published at the beginning of March star the first version of a list of oligarch yachts that sailed the seven seas – because the Russian elite is known for showing their wealth by owning one or more huge ships. At that time, too, Melnichenko’s two yachts, the “SY A” and the “MY A” appeared in the said list. The reaction: A spokesman for the billionaire contacted him several times star to protect his client’s reputation.
“No political connections in Russia”
It said at the time: “My client has nothing to do with the tragic events in Ukraine and is even ethnically Ukrainian. He is not subject to sanctions and has no political connections in Russia. It is unfair and inaccurate to implicate him in this story as his family has not lived in Russia for over 14 years and his main company, EuroChem, has been based in Switzerland for over 10 years.”
the star insisted on keeping the yachts on the list, as Melnichenko makes his money not only from fertilizers, but also as the owner of Russia’s largest coal producer SUEK. It seemed unrealistic to be able to own such an infrastructurally important corporation without the favor of the Russian government. The EU must have judged this similarly when imposing sanctions on the entrepreneur.
The EU Commission imposed numerous new sanctions in the middle of the week – 14 oligarchs are also affected, including Melnichenko. The justification states that they are active in important sectors of the economy “which represent a significant source of income for the Russian Federation – in particular in the metal industry, agriculture, the pharmaceutical industry, telecommunications and the digital economy”. Family members are also sanctioned.
Statement by Andrei Melnichenko
After the “SY A” was confiscated, Melnichenko’s spokesman called again star. Below is the full translation of the statement on behalf of the billionaire.
“There is no justification for putting Andrei Melnichenko on the EU sanctions list. It is absurd and nonsensical to draw a parallel between attending a meeting through membership of a business council, as dozens of businessmen from Russia and Europe have done in the past have done and draw on undermining or threatening a country.
We will challenge these unfounded and unjustified sanctions, believing that the rule of law and common sense will prevail. Andrey Melnichenko is an international self-made businessman, entrepreneur and investor in children’s education.
It has nothing to do with the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations. He has founded successful international companies: EuroChem Group is a world-leading fertilizer manufacturer, operating in Switzerland and Europe for over ten years, making a major contribution to global food security, while SUEK is a leading coal producer playing an important role in of providing accessible energy to developing countries.
Both companies employ more than 100,000 people worldwide. Both companies are 100% privately owned and not affiliated with any government. They make significant tax contributions in dozens of countries and invest significant sums in the communities in which they operate.
Effective March 9, 2022, to ensure that EuroChem and SUEK can continue to provide millions of people around the world with agricultural nutrients and access to affordable energy, Andrei Melnichenko has resigned as a board member and non-executive director of both companies and has resigned withdrawn as a beneficiary.”
Completely different view of the EU
The fact that Melnichenko has no connection to the Russian government is viewed very differently by the EU. That’s what it says in the Justification of the sanctions against himthat he belongs to the most influential group of Russian businessmen who have close ties to the Kremlin. “Melnichenko is involved in the economic sector and provides the Russian government with considerable income,” the statement said. He and 36 other businessmen met Vladimir Putin and other government officials on February 24, the day Russia attacked Ukraine. The content of the meeting was a debate on how to behave in the event of Western sanctions. “The fact that Melnichenko was invited to the meeting proves that he is a member of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and that he supports Russia’s actions in Ukraine.”
Second yacht safe
For his second mega yacht, the “MY A” (IMO 1009340) Andrei Melnichenko does not have to worry at the moment. She sails through the atolls of the Maldives, where there are currently no sanctions against oligarchs. The ship is not alone there: In recent weeks, more and more yachts belonging to Russian businessmen have been heading for the Maldives. You can get an overview here.