The company, a governmental physique chargeable for discovering, tracing, and coping with belongings derived from corruption and different crimes, stated Troostwijk Auctions would handle the sale of the 92-meter-long yacht.
The MY Royal Romance was owned by Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian lawmaker who had his Ukrainian citizenship revoked for his pro-Russian actions.
The US sanctioned Medvedchuk in March 2014 for his alleged position within the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, and Ukrainian counterintelligence officers arrested him in April 2022 after he was charged with treason.
He was swapped for 200 Ukrainian prisoners of warfare in September 2022 after requesting such an change shortly after his arrest, in response to the Safety Service of Ukraine.
Promoting yachts owned by these sanctioned by Ukrainian and Western governments has proved to be a headache.
Most of the yachts are “frozen” — not seized — and technically do not belong to abroad governments, which means they can not be bought with out particular permission.
As BI beforehand reported, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted many governments to enact sanctions in opposition to Russia’s richest, together with seizing superyachts price lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars}.
However over two years later, it is nonetheless unclear whether or not they are often bought or, certainly, who’d purchase them.
Ukraine’s Asset Restoration and Administration Company described makes an attempt to promote the Royal Romance as 10 months of “tireless” work.
It additionally described the transfer as a “turning level” that would pave the way in which for extra related efforts in Ukraine and overseas.
The “sale of Medvedchuk’s yacht isn’t solely symbolic, as it may be the primary impetus and demonstration to all the group that the belongings of traitors to Ukraine shall be used for the good thing about Ukraine,” it stated.
The company didn’t specify the place or when the public sale would happen. It additionally failed to say the anticipated price ticket.
Ukraine’s Asset Restoration and Administration Company and Troostwijk Auctions didn’t instantly reply to BI’s request for feedback.
