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UKRAINE

Spain seizes Russian oligarch’s €128 million megayacht

An 85-metre yacht belonging to Russian oligarch Sergei Chemezov was impounded Monday in the Spanish port of Barcelona, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

Published: 15 March 2022 09:25 CET
Spain seizes Russian oligarch's €128 million megayacht
The Valerie superyacht is worth $140 million (€128 million) and is 85 metres long. Photo: JanManu /Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Spanish newspaper El País reported that the yacht seized is named Valerie, which it linked to Rostec defence firm chief Sergei Chemezov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We have immobilised temporarily a yacht in Barcelona belonging to one of the main Russian oligarchs,” Sánchez told la Sexta, adding “others were to come.”

The superyacht named Valerie is worth $140 million (€128 million) and is 85 metres long, the premier said without giving other details.

Yachts are among the assets of oligarchs targeted by sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Chemezov features prominently on the sanctions lists. He has previously been sanctioned by the United States in 2014 and by the UK in 2020 over his involvement in Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Rostec Corporation CEO Sergei Chemezov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on August 2, 2016. (Photo by Mikhail KLIMENTYEV / various sources / AFP)

My Solaris, the €500 million superyacht of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, left Barcelona on March 11th and its crew are now looking to dock at a port further East where the vessel will not be seized by authorities.

READ ALSO: How much influence does Russia have over Spain?

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UKRAINE

Spain sends generators to Ukraine as temperatures plummet

The Spanish government has announced it has sent 14 new electric generators to war-torn Ukraine, where Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have left many without power or warm water as winter fast approaches.

Published: 21 November 2022 09:09 CET
Spain sends generators to Ukraine as temperatures plummet

On Friday “we dispatched a new package of 14 generators in view of what is proving to be a very harsh and difficult winter in Ukraine”, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said.

Kyiv on Friday appealed to European allies for support, saying nearly half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure had been disabled and needed repair.

Madrid last month said it had sent five generators.

Temperatures have plunged across Ukraine in recent days, with the first snow falling on Thursday.

“Due to a dramatic drop in temperature, electricity consumption is increasing daily in those regions of Ukraine where power supply has already been restored after massive missile strikes on November 15th on the energy infrastructure,” said Ukrenergo, an electricity transmission system operator in Ukraine and the sole operator of the country’s high-voltage transmission lines.

Albares said Spain would also dispatch 30 ambulances as well as police reinforcements to help Ukraine investigate possible war crimes on its territory.

Both the European Commission and the European Parliament have warned that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is the “worst” since the war broke out in February and insisted on the need to provide aid to the country so that it can face the winter.

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