US auctioning off seized US$325 million Russian superyacht with helipad, pool, gym and spa

The United States is auctioning off the US$325 million yacht Amadea, its first sale of a seized Russian luxury ship since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The auction, which closes on September 10, comes as US President Donald Trump seeks to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. The US has said it is working with allies to put pressure on Russian oligarchs, some of whom are close to Putin and have had their yachts seized, to try to compel him to stop the war.

The 106-metre-long (348-foot-long) yacht, seized three years ago and currently docked in San Diego, was custom built by the German company Lurssen in 2017.

Designed by François Zuretti, the yacht features an interior with extensive marble work, eight state rooms, a beauty salon, a spa, a gym, a helipad, a swimming pool and a lift. It accommodates 16 guests and 36 crew members.

Determining the real ownership of the Amadea has been an issue of contention because of an opaque trail of trusts and shell companies. The yacht is registered in the Cayman Islands and is owned by Millemarin Investments, also based in the Cayman Islands.

The US contends that Suleiman Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for alleged money laundering, owns the yacht.

Meanwhile, Eduard Khudainatov, a former chairman and chief executive of the state-controlled Russian oil and gas company Rosneft, who has not been sanctioned, claims to own it.