russian yacht seized san diego

Watch CBS News

Superyacht seized by U.S. from Russian billionaire arrives in San Diego Bay

June 27, 2022 / 3:40 PM EDT / CBS/AP

A $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday.

The 348-foot-long (106-meter-long) Amadea flew an American flag as it sailed past the retired aircraft carrier USS Midway and under the Coronado Bridge.

"After a transpacific journey of over 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers), the Amadea has safely docked in a port within the United States, and will remain in the custody of the U.S. government, pending its anticipated forfeiture and sale," the Department of Justice said in a statement.

The FBI linked the Amadea to the Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, and the vessel became a target of Task Force KleptoCapture, launched in March to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs to put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The U.S. said Kerimov secretly bought the vessel last year through various shell companies.

But Justice Department  officials had been stymied  by a legal effort to contest the American seizure warrant and by a yacht crew that refused to sail for the U.S. American officials won a legal battle in Fiji to take the Cayman Islands-flagged superyacht earlier this month. 

The Amadea made a stop in Honolulu Harbor en route to the U.S. mainland. The Amadea boasts  luxury features  such as a helipad, mosaic-tiled pool, lobster tank and a pizza oven, nestled in a décor of "delicate marble and stones" and "precious woods and delicate silk fabrics," according to court documents.

"The successful seizure and transport of Amadea would not have been possible without extraordinary cooperation from our foreign partners in the global effort to enforce U.S. sanctions imposed in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine," the Justice Department said.

More from CBS News

Putin renews nuclear war threat, warns NATO not to send troops to Ukraine

Russian military plane with 15 people on board crashes on takeoff

Polls vandalized as Russia's "sham elections" get underway

U.K. court rules Australian computer scientist is not "Satoshi Nakamoto"

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• AP Top 25 College Football Poll
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Russian superyacht seized by US arrives in San Diego Bay

The super yacht Amadea passes San Diego as it comes into the San Diego Bay Monday, June 27, 2022, seen from Coronado, Calif. The $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The super yacht Amadea passes the USS Midway Museum as it comes into the San Diego Bay Monday, June 27, 2022, seen from Coronado, Calif. The $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People look on from the super yacht Amadea as it arrives to the San Diego Bay Monday, June 27, 2022, seen from Coronado, Calif. The $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People stand on the deck of the super yacht Amadea as it is escorted by a Coast Guard vessel in the San Diego Bay Monday, June 27, 2022, seen from Coronado, Calif. The $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The super yacht Amadea sails into the San Diego Bay Monday, June 27, 2022, seen from Coronado, Calif. The $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday.(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

• Copy Link copied

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday.

The 348-foot-long (106-meter-long) Amadea flew an American flag as it sailed past the retired aircraft carrier USS Midway and under the Coronado Bridge.

The Department of Justice said the Amadea was safely docked after a transpacific journey of over 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers) “and will remain in the custody of the U.S. government, pending its anticipated forfeiture and sale.”

The FBI linked the Amadea to the Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, and the vessel became a target of Task Force KleptoCapture, launched in March to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs to put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

The U.S. said Kerimov secretly bought the vessel last year through various shell companies.

The U.S. won a legal battle in Fiji to take the Cayman Islands-flagged superyacht earlier this month. The Amadea made a stop in Honolulu Harbor en route to the U.S. mainland.

“The successful seizure and transport of Amadea would not have been possible without extraordinary cooperation from our foreign partners in the global effort to enforce U.S. sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine,” the Justice Department said.

Superyacht feds say was seized from Russian oligarch sails into San Diego

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

A $300-million superyacht the U.S. seized from an alleged Russian oligarch in Fiji last month sailed into San Diego Bay on Monday morning.

Known as the Amadea, it is 348 feet long and features a helipad and swimming pool. The Department of Justice says it was owned by Suleiman Kerimov, a gold investor Forbes says is worth $14.5 billion .

It’s not clear how long the seized boat will stay in San Diego. Justice officials said the plan is to eventually sell it off.

“The successful seizure and transport of Amadea would not have been possible without extraordinary cooperation from our foreign partners in the global effort to enforce U.S. sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine,” the Department of Justice said in a statement Monday.

The U.S. sanctioned Kerimov, who was accused of money laundering related to the purchase of French villas, in 2018. The European Union sanctioned him in March 2022, the Associated Press reported.

That same month, the Department of Justice created Task Force KleptoCapture to enforce the sanctions the U.S. and its foreign allies imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Two months later, on May 5, the Department of Justice announced it had seized the Amadea in Fiji. “Today’s action should make clear that there is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate U.S. law,” Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland said that day.

After winning a court battle in Fiji — there was a dispute over the yacht’s actual owner — the U.S. sailed the ship from the South Pacific island on June 7 .

The superyacht stopped in Hawaii last week before heading into San Diego, sailing under the San Diego-Coronado Bridge on its way to its berth Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More to Read

U.S., EU add sanctions on Russia for Ukraine war, Navalny’s death

Feb. 23, 2024

Israeli-owned ship attacked by suspected Iranian drone in Indian Ocean, U.S. official says

Nov. 25, 2023

Navy plane overshoots runway and ends up in ocean, but all aboard escape unharmed

Nov. 21, 2023

Start your day right

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Teri Figueroa covers courts, crime and breaking news for The San Diego Union-Tribune. A native Californian, she joined the North County Times in 2002, and the U-T in 2012. Figueroa reported on the 2003 and 2007 wildfires, and covered the criminal cases against Richard Tuite and John Gardner III, as well as war crimes cases. A San Diego State University graduate, Figueroa has won multiple journalism awards for her work.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Animal welfare activists pressure City Council to make changes amid shelter crisis

‘DROP on steroids.’ L.A. city workers double dip by retiring and getting hired at DWP, union alleges

Meet the beekeeper who calmed tennis star Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells

From Homeboy Industries to the Italian Renaissance: Fabian Debora wants you to see the light

Russian luxury yacht seized by US arrives in San Diego

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A $300 million luxury yacht owned by a sectioned Russian oligarch was seized by the United States in Fiji and arrived at NAS North Island on Monday.

The Amadea was owned by Suleiman Kerimov, a sanctioned Oligarch and beneficiary of Russian corruption.

The yacht was a target of the Task Force KleptoCaptureto seize the assets of Russian Oligarchs to place pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, according to the Associated Press.

“After a transpacific journey of over 5,000 miles, the Amadea has safely docked in a port within the United States, and will remain in the custody of the U.S. government, pending its anticipated forfeiture and sale,” the Department of Justice said in a statement.

"The successful seizure and transport of Amadea would not have been possible without extraordinary cooperation from our foreign partners in the global effort to enforce U.S. sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine. We hope to make additional footage of the Amadea available at a later date,” the Justice Department said.

After the Amadea's arrival in San Diego, ABC 10News spoke with author and former CIA Officer Alex Finley, who has written extensively about Russian oligarchs and their penchant for lavish yachts. “They are allowed to loot and steal from Russia as long as they support Putin," Finley said. "And one of the things that they love to spend their money on is yachts.”

Finley says their is competition among the billionaire business moguls that run Russian industry under Putin. That has led to an arms race, so to speak, to build bigger, more luxurious, more tech-savvy yachts. But Finley also says recently unveiled evidence indicates that the yachts are more than just a status symbol. “It looks like there’s some sort of infrastructure around these yachts and services for the yachts that, perhaps, is helping launder some of the money.” Finley says documents released when Amadea was seized included mentioning money laundering as a key reason why the yacht was targeted.

Finley, who has written a series of spy novels since leaving the CIA, says after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a community of amateur sleuths began using crowdsourcing and public navigation tracking apps to try to identify yachts owned by Russian oligarchs, who were, at the same time, trying to move them away from ports where they could be seized. The group rallied around the hashtag #YachtWatch.

Sign up for the Breaking News Newsletter and receive up to date information.

Now signed up to receive the breaking news newsletter..

San Diego County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee

A Russian oligarch's megayacht seized by the US is costing taxpayers a fortune, and the government is desperate to sell

• A Russian oligarch's seized megayacht is costing US taxpayers $922,000 a month, a court filing says.
• Officials said last month it costs $600,000 — but there's also insurance and dry-docking fees.
• Another Russian billionaire is claiming ownership of the yacht and opposing attempts to sell it.

A Russian oligarch's megayacht is costing taxpayers almost $1 million a month after the government seized it, court filings say.

US officials say the $300-million Amadea is owned by Suleiman Kerimov , a sanctioned Russian billionaire. It has a helipad, a swimming pool, and a movie theater on board.

The 348-foot vessel was first seized by authorities in Fiji in April 2022. It's now docked in San Diego, but the government wants to sell it due to huge maintenance costs.

Related stories

Last month, an assistant chief in the US Marshals Service said the Amadea was costing the government about $600,000 a month .

That's made up of $360,000 for crew salaries; $75,000 for fuel; and $165,000 for maintenance, waste removal, food for the crew, and miscellaneous expenses.

But a Friday court filing seen by Business Insider says there are actually even more costs that bring the total monthly bill up to $922,000.

It costs $144,000 to insure the megayacht, and dry-docking fees of $178,000 a month, the filing says.

The legal battle over the Amadea involves another Russian billionaire, Eduard Khudainatov, who claims he, not Kerimov, is the owner of the yacht.

Lawyers for Khudainatov, who is not sanctioned, have objected to the government's attempts to sell the Amadea.

According to CNBC, which first reported on Friday's filing, Khudainatov has offered to reimburse the government for the $20 million it has already spent maintaining the yacht if it's returned to him.

However, as long as the government continues trying to sell the Amadea, he won't pay the costs, CNBC reported.

Watch: Putin's $51 billion Sochi plan blew up in his face

• Main content

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Russian luxury yacht seized by US arrives in San Diego

A $300 million luxury yacht owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch was seized in Fiji and was brought to NAS North Island on Monday.

Recommended Stories

After signing russell wilson, steelers trade 2022 1st-round pick kenny pickett to eagles.

The Steelers moved on from Pickett after just two seasons.

Shohei Ohtani posts first photo with wife ahead of Dodgers' trip to South Korea

Ohtani's wife is former Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka.

Players react to Rams DT Aaron Donald announcing his retirement: 'THANK GOD'

Not everyone was sad to see the three-time DPOY leave the game.

Vikings add another first-rounder in NFL Draft through trade with Texans

What are the Vikings planning with their two first-round picks?

NFL free agency: Moves that caught our attention so far, from the Patriots (good) to some running backs (odd)

Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice breaks down the moves that stuck out to him now that the initial dust has settled on Tamperpalooza.

Russell Wilson's hurried deal with Steelers may say a lot about his intentions, and Pittsburgh's

Wilson's announced deal with Pittsburgh went down before free agency even began. Why were both sides so quick to link up?

QB Jimmy Garoppolo agrees to terms on 1-year deal with Rams, per report

Garoppolo is headed from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

Nick Saban: The way Alabama players reacted after Rose Bowl loss 'contributed' to decision to retire

Saban retired Jan. 10 after 17 seasons and six national titles at Alabama.

Commanders send QB Sam Howell to Seahawks in pick swap, per report

Howell is headed to Seattle.

Aaron Donald, 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, announces retirement to end 10-year NFL career

The star Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle is calling it a career.

What to make of Bronny James' lackluster season and future NBA prospects

No one has gone through more adversity this college basketball season than USC freshman Bronny James.

2024 Fantasy Baseball: The most overrated players in Rounds 1-10 of drafts

Whose ADP is too high? What other players could be drafted instead? Jorge Martin dives into who are the most overrated players through Round 10 going into 2024 fantasy drafts.

The biggest gas-guzzlers of 2024: 'The Meanest List' is the opposite of greenest cars

In its so-called “Meanest List” of a dozen models, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) makes no apologies for berating “the worst-performing mass market automobiles” sold in 2024 in the U.S.

Biden is spreading $442 billion across the US. The impact could be greatest where he’s least popular.

Two of Joe Biden's signature laws appear all but certain to have the most impact in rural corners of the US that are far from the President's likely base of voters this November.

2024 MLB breakouts: Who will make a fantasy baseball splash this season?

The Yahoo Fantasy Baseball and MLB crews unite and reveal their favorite breakout candidates set to cut loose in the 2024 season.

NFL free agency 2024: Way-too-early fantasy football rankings for RBs on new teams

With nearly every major running back free agent joining a new team, fantasy analyst Andy Behrens reveals where he thinks they should be drafted for the 2024 season.

The Diane von Furstenberg for Target collection drops soon — check out our favorite wrap dresses, home decor and more

Here's your first look at the line's fabulous pieces, from lamps and leggings to tableware and travel bags.

MLB 26-and-under power rankings: Evaluating all 30 teams by the young talent in their organizations, from the Rockies to No. 1

The White Sox, Astros, Angels, A's and Rockies make up the bottom tier of this year's list.

Raiders release QBs Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer and others in cap-saving move

By releasing Jimmy Garoppolo and WR Hunter Renfro, the Raiders save $19 million in cap space

Eagles deny tampering with Saquon Barkley following James Franklin's comments

Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles this week.

Sanctions against Moscow backfire? US spent $20mn to maintain superyacht seized from Russian oligarch

A super yacht which was seized from a sanctioned Russian oligarch has cost the American taxpayers a total of $20 million and nearly $1 million per month to maintain, recent court filings showed. This comes as the war in Ukraine rages on and Kyiv’s Western allies, including the United States, have imposed thousands of sanctions against Russia in response.

About the Russian oligarch’s superyacht

The US Department of Justice has sought permission to sell the 348-foot yacht called Amadea which was seized in 2022. Estimated at a price of around $300 million, the superyacht was allegedly owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov. 

WATCH | 'Any war is a tragedy', says Russian President Putin as Ukraine war enters third year

Kerimov was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2014 and again in 2018 in response to Russia’s activities in Syria and Ukraine. 

The US government has sought to sell the mega-yacht, which is currently docked in San Diego, for $230 million due to the “excessive costs” of the maintenance and crew which can be as high as $922,000 a month. 

According to the court documents, monthly costs for Amadea include $600,000 per month in running costs; $360,000 for the crew; $75,000 for fuel; and $165,000 for maintenance. 

The ship also requires an additional $144,000 in insurance and the occasional one-off fees to cover dry docking expenses which add another $178,000 to the monthly bill. 

Also Read |  Two Filipino nationals among three killed in Houthi missile attack in Gulf of Aden

“It is excessive for taxpayers to pay nearly a million dollars per month to maintain the Amadea when these expenses could be reduced to zero through sale,” the US prosecutors argued in the court filing. 

In previous court filings, prosecutors have also said that these maintenance payments are essential to preserving the yacht’s value.

Battle over Amadea

The US government has tried to previously get rid of the yacht but the efforts to auction it have been challenged by Eduard Khudainatov, who led the Russian state oil and gas company Rosneft from 2010 to 2013.

Khudainatov who has claimed ownership of the Amadea said that it cannot be forfeited because he has not been sanctioned. However, in previous court filings, prosecutors have alleged that he is acting as the superyacht’s “straw owner” to disguise Kerimov’s role. 

However, the Russian oligarch’s lawyers have argued that the motion to sell the vessel was “premature” and urged the judge to decline it till the court “determines whether the seizure was unconstitutional.”

Also Read |  US lawmakers introduce bill targeting TikTok over national security concerns

The court battle over Amadea highlights the financial and legal challenges of the sanctions imposed by the US which also involves seizing and selling assets owned by Russian oligarchs. If the US government succeeds, they would likely eventually transfer sale proceeds to support Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, last week suggested something similar saying that the EU should use profits from more than $200 billion of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort.

(With inputs from agencies)

US Seizes Super Yacht ‘Tango' Owned by Oligarch With Close Ties to Putin From Spanish Port

The doj alleges in a warrant the yacht should be forfeited because billionaire viktor vekselberg violated u.s. bank fraud, money laundering and sanctions statutes, by francisco ubilla, aritz parra and michael balsamo • published april 4, 2022.

The U.S. government on Monday seized a 254-foot yacht in Spain owned by an oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a first by the Biden administration under sanctions imposed after the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine and targeting pricey assets of Russian elites.

Spain's Civil Guard and U.S. federal agents descended on the Tango at the Marina Real in the port of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Associated Press reporters at the scene saw police going in and out of the boat.

The U.S. Justice Department, which obtained a warrant from a federal judge in Washington, alleges the yacht should be forfeited for violating U.S. bank fraud, money laundering and sanctions statutes.

Superyachtfan.com , a specialized website that tracks the world’s largest and most exclusive recreational boats, values the 78-meter vessel, which carries the Cook Islands flag, at $120 million.

Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.

‘Under the Counter Diplomacy': Why Sanctioned Oligarch Roman Abramovich Is Brokering Peace in Ukraine

Turkey May Become the New Playground for Russian Oligarchs — But It's a Risky Strategy

The yacht is among the assets linked to Viktor Vekselberg, a billionaire and close Putin ally who heads the Moscow-based Renova Group, a conglomerate encompassing metals, mining, tech and other assets, according to U.S. Treasury Department documents .

All of Vekselberg’s assets in the United States are frozen and American companies are barred from doing business with him and his entities. The Ukrainian-born businessman built his fortune by investing in the aluminum and oil industries in the post-Soviet era.

Prosecutors allege Vekselberg bought the Tango in 2011 and has owned it since then, though they believe he has used shell companies to try to obfuscate his ownership and to avoid financial oversight.

They contend Vekselberg and those working for him continued to make payments using U.S. banks to support and maintain the yacht, even after sanctions were imposed on him in 2018. Those payments included a stay in December 2020 at a luxury water villa resort in the Maldives and fees to moor the yacht.

It's the first U.S. seizure of an oligarch’s yacht since U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen assembled a task force known as REPO — short for Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs — as an effort to enforce sanctions after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

"It will not be the last,” Garland said in a statement. “Together, with our international partners, we will do everything possible to hold accountable any individual whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue its unjust war.”

Vekselberg has long had ties to the U.S., including a green card he once held and homes in New York and Connecticut. He was also questioned in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and has worked closely with his American cousin, Andrew Intrater, who heads the New York investment management firm Columbus Nova.

Vekselberg and Intrater were thrust into the spotlight in that investigation after the lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels released a memo that claimed $500,000 in hush money was routed through Columbus Nova to a shell company set up by Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen. Columbus Nova denied that Vekselberg played any role in its payments to Cohen.

Vekselberg and Intrater met with Cohen at Trump Tower, one of several meetings between members of Trump's inner circle and high-level Russians during Trump's 2016 campaign and the transition before his presidency.

The 64-year-old Vekselberg founded Renova Group more than three decades ago. The group holds the largest stake in United Co. Rusal, Russia’s biggest aluminum producer, among other investments.

Vekselberg was first sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018, and again in March of this year, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine began. Vekselberg has also been sanctioned by authorities in the United Kingdom.

The yacht sails under the Cook Islands flag and is owned by a company registered in the British Virgin Islands administered by different societies in Panama, the Civil Guard said, “following a complicated financial and societal web to conceal its truthful ownership.”

Agents confiscated documents and computers inside the yacht that will be analyzed to confirm he real identity of the owner, it said.

The U.S. Justice Department has also launched a sanctions enforcement task force known as KleptoCapture, which also aims to enforce financial restrictions in the U.S. imposed on Russia and its billionaires, working with the FBI, the U.S. Treasury and other federal agencies. That task force will also target financial institutions and entities that have helped oligarchs move money to dodge sanctions.

The White House has said that many allied countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and others are involved in trying to collect and share information against Russians targeted for sanctions. In his State of the Union address on March 1, President Joe Biden warned oligarchs that the U.S. and European allies would “find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets.”

“We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” he said.

Monday's capture is not the first time Spanish authorities have been involved in the seizure of a Russian oligarch’s superyacht. Officials said they had seized a vessel valued at over $140 million owned by the CEO of a state-owned defense conglomerate and a close Putin ally.

French authorities have seized superyachts, including one believed to belong to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft, which has been on the U.S. sanctions list since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Italy has seized several yachts and other assets.

Italian financial police moved quickly seizing the superyacht Lena belonging to Gennady Timchenko, an oligarch close to Putin, in the port of San Remo; the 65-meter (215-foot) Lady M owned by Alexei Mordashov in nearby Imperia, featuring six suites and estimated to be worth 65 million euros; as well as villas in Tuscany and Como, according to government officials.

Parra reported from Madrid and Balsamo reported from Washington.

This article tagged under:

Russia should return Romania’s gold sent to Moscow during World War I, European Parliament says

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

Lawmakers in the European Parliament on Thursday adopted a non-binding resolution saying Russia should return gold and other valuable heritage items to Romania that were sent to Moscow during World War I for safekeeping, a Romanian lawmaker said.

During World War I, the kingdom of Romania sent by railroad 91.5 metric tons of gold coins and ingots to Moscow, along with jewels and cultural treasures such as works of art. In the war, Romania had sided with Russia, Britain and France, against Germany, the Austro-Hungarian and the Ottoman empires.

The gold was confiscated after the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in 1917. In later years, efforts by Romania to recover the gold came to nothing. Some cultural items were returned by Soviet authorities in 1935 and 1956 — but not the gold.

In 2003, a joint commission was set up between Romania and Russia to improve bilateral relations, and also work on the issue of the gold.

On Thursday, the European Parliament passed the resolution proposed by Romanian lawmaker Eugen Tomac, with the backing of the National Bank of Romania, stipulating that Moscow should return the gold.

Tomac hailed it as a “historic vote” and “a matter of national dignity” in a post on Facebook. “Romania cannot and must not accept anything less than the return of 91.5 tons of gold and the entire Cultural Treasure,” he said.

Though there is little chance Romania will see the return of the gold, Tomac said it was “important not to give up.”

There was no immediate comment from Moscow.

Get U-T Business in your inbox on Mondays

Get ready for your week with the week’s top business stories from San Diego and California, in your inbox Monday mornings.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune.

More in this section

National Business

How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 3/15/2024

Stocks retreated from a record high set earlier this week on Wall Street

Energy Department conditionally approves $2.26 billion loan for huge lithium mine in Nevada

President Joe Biden’s administration has agreed to provide a $2.26 billion conditional loan for a huge lithium mine in Nevada

Internet gambling revenue continues to soar in New Jersey. In-person revenue? Not so much.

Internet gambling revenue continues to soar in New Jersey, where online casinos are accounting for a growing share of the betting pie

Grains mixed, Livestock higher

Wheat for May was off 3.75 cents at $5.2850 a bushel; May corn was up 3 cents at $4.3675 a bushel, May oats fell 5.75 cents at $3.6575 a bushel; while May soybeans rose 3 cents at $11.9825 a bushel.

Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for April delivery fell 22 cents to $81.04 per barrel Friday

March 15, 2024

Initial public offerings scheduled to debut next week

The following is a list of initial public offerings planned for the coming week.