France seizes superyacht belonging to Russian oligarch Rosneft Igor

• The 280-foot yacht was seized at the shipyards of La Ciotat, near Marseille

• The US Treasury names Igor Sechin as Putin’s a close ally 

The French authorities said that a superyacht owned by a business tied to Igor Sechin, the CEO of Russian energy giant Rosneft has been seized on Thursday.

"Thank you to the French customs officers who are enforcing the European Union's sanctions against those close to the Russian government", Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in a Tweet.

The yacht is being detained in La Ciotat, according to Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, as part of the European Union's huge sanctions against Russia for beginning a conflict in Ukraine.

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According to a translation of a letter provided in the tweet, the Amore Velo vessel was seized by French officials on March 2 following a lengthy inspection. 

The boat had landed in La Ciotat on Jan. 3, 2022, and was scheduled to stay there until April 1 for repair, according to the letter. The yacht, however, was prepared to cast off when authorities began their inspection, according to France's finance minister.

The 85.6-meter yacht was built by Oceanco in the Netherlands and features a swimming pool that converts to a helipad, as well as a salon and gym. 

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According to the French government, the attempted departure violated a customs regulation by attempting to circumvent intended economic and financial constraints.

Sechin served as Russia's deputy prime minister in Putin's cabinet from 2008 to 2012, before he took over as CEO of Rosneft. Sechin is named by the US Treasury as a close ally of Putin.

In a similar incident, well-known oligarch Roman Abramovich said on Wednesday that he will sell the Chelsea soccer club in England. The money from the sale, according to Abramovich, would go to victims of the Ukraine war.

With inputs from Reuters 

Picture Credits: The Moscow Times