A luxurious superyachtbelonging to a sanctioned Russian billionaire arliamentarianfeaturing six suites, anelevator,its own beach clubanda helicopter pad is anchored in Dubai where Russians have sheltered wealth since the invasion of Ukraine.
Andrei Skoch’s blue and white “Madame Gu” was docked at Port Rashidon Friday, where Dubai’s Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum keeps his own yacht,bothvisible to passersby.
Dubai has emerged as a refuge for Russian wealth as Western sanctions target President Vladimir Putin’s allies. The United Arab Emirates, seeking to maintain what it says is a neutral position on the war, has not imposed sanctions.
That has frustrated many Western diplomats who privatelysay theUAE position is untenable and siding with Moscow.
On Wednesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs BarbaraLeaf wasasked during a U.S. House ForeignAffairsSubcommittee hearing about reports of Putin-linked oligarchs and businessmen sheltering assets in the UAE.
“I’m not happyat all with the record at this point and I plan to make this a priority to drive to a better alignment, shall we say, of effort,” she said.
Another Russian oligarch, another superyacht: Owned by steel magnate Andrei Skoch whose fortune is valued at $6.6 billion, the 324-foot Madame Gu with its helicopter pad, gym, beach club and elevator, remains docked in Dubai. By @IsabelDeBre.
— AP Middle East (@APMiddleEast) June 23, 2022
Skoch, 56, was sanctioned this year by the West, including the European Union, over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States had sanctioned the State Duma member in 2018.
The Madame Gu superyacht has been anchored in the Dubai port since March 6, according to Refinitiv data, and arrived in the UAE last November, several months before Ukraine was invaded.
UAE officials and the U.S. and British embassies in Abu Dhabi did not immediately respond to questions on thevessel. Neither did a representative for the EU mission in the UAE.
Britain’s trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan,speaking during an interview with Reuters in the UAE on Thursday,urged more nations to punish Russia.
Asked if there were concernsaboutRussians evading sanctions through the UAE, Trevelyan said imposing sanctionsis asovereign decision, without addressing whether there was unease.
A BoeingBA.N787 Dreamliner owned by sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich arrived in Dubai in March, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. A U.S. court has ordered its seizure.
