Two Putin-Linked Superyachts Depart Russia for Turkey

Superyachts Resurface After Years of AIS Silence

According to a report by The Maritime Executive, two superyachts long associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin have left Russian waters and are signaling on AIS tracking systems that they are en route to Turkey. The movements mark a notable break from years of deliberate tracking blackouts for at least one of the vessels.

Graceful’s Sudden Reappearance

The 270-foot yacht Graceful, also known by the name Kosatka, slipped out of Germany just before Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. She then moved between Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg, staying largely hidden from public tracking with her AIS switched off for roughly four years. That changed on June 28, when the vessel suddenly appeared on tracking data near Copenhagen.

Ship-spotters in the Baltic subsequently observed Graceful moving through the Kattegat strait under a substantial security escort. Accompanying her were the Voevoda, a government-operated vessel resembling a yacht that is also believed to serve as a presidential transport, and the Severomorsk, an Udaloy-class Russian Navy destroyer. Naval escorts for Russian tankers are common in the Baltic, but deploying a destroyer specifically to guard a private yacht is an unusual step, the report noted. Once Graceful cleared the Skagerrak strait, she again went dark on AIS and vanished from tracking.

Built by German shipyard Blohm+Voss and delivered in 2014, Graceful is estimated to be worth around $100 million, making her the second-largest yacht in the fleet linked to the Russian leader.

Victoria Heads to the Adriatic

The second vessel, Victoria (IMO 1009663), switched her AIS back on in the Black Sea on June 16 and got under way the following week, also reportedly bound for Turkey. She is now anchored near the Adriatic resort town of Torba.

Victoria has reportedly been connected to Alina Kabaeva, a former rhythmic gymnast widely believed by Russia analysts to be Putin’s partner. As with several other yachts tied to the Russian leader, Victoria’s registered owner is a Russian businessman with personal connections to Putin who, according to the report, does not appear to have the financial resources needed to maintain such an extensive fleet on his own.

Notably, Victoria was constructed by Sevmash, a shipyard better known for building Russia’s nuclear submarines rather than luxury vessels.

The Fate of Scheherazade

The largest yacht associated with Putin, Scheherazade, has remained at an Italian shipyard since early 2022, after being seized by Italian authorities near the start of the Ukraine conflict.

Why the Movements Matter

The reappearance of these vessels after years of evasive tracking behavior underscores the ongoing scrutiny surrounding assets linked to sanctioned Russian elites. Movements toward Turkey — a country that has not imposed sanctions on Russia — may offer these yachts a degree of operational freedom unavailable in EU or NATO waters. The unusual naval escort assigned to Graceful also suggests heightened concern for the vessel’s security during the transit.

For the wider maritime industry, these episodes are a reminder of how sanctions, ownership structures, and vessel tracking continue to shape decisions about where high-value ships can safely operate. Independent verification of vessel condition, ownership documentation, and flag status remains an important part of due diligence for any vessel moving between jurisdictions with differing sanctions regimes — the kind of assessment that condition and pre-purchase surveys are designed to support.

Reviewed by Ibrahim Halil Ceylan, Marine Surveyor at Apeks Marine.