A megayacht seized from a Russian oligarch nearly two years ago by the U.S. government is costing taxpayers nearly $1 million a month in maintenance, court records revealed.
The 348-foot-long, $300 million megayacht Amadea was seized from Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov in May 2022 as part of an effort to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
It has been docked in San Diego since arriving in the United States in June 2022 and costs $922,000 a month to maintain, according to court records.
The authorities are trying to sell the yacht, but Russian businessman Eduard Khudainatov is challenging ownership of the boat in court.
“It is ‘excessive’ for taxpayers to pay nearly $1 million a month to maintain Amadea when these expenses could be reduced to zero through an interlocutory sale,” the government stated in recent court papers.
The 348-foot-long, $300 million megayacht Amadea, seized from Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov in May 2022, is costing taxpayers nearly $1 million a month in maintenance.
Authorities are seeking to sell Kerimov’s confiscated yacht (left), but Russian businessman Eduard Khudainatov (right) is challenging ownership of the boat in court.
The Amadea was taken out of San Diego Bay via a loop off the coast of La Jolla on a maintenance voyage in January.
The costs break down to $600,000 per month in operating costs; $360,000 for the crew; $75,000 for fuel; and $165,000 for maintenance, waste removal, food and other expenses, reported CNBC.
The government is paying $144,000 in monthly prorated insurance costs and other charges, including drydocking fees, add an additional $178,000, bringing the total to $922,000.
The luxury yacht features a live lobster tank, a hand-painted piano, a swimming pool and a large helipad.
It was built in 2017 by the German company Lurssen, according to Superyacht Times and is listed as the 63rd largest yacht in the world.
The Amadea was taken out of San Diego Bay through a loop off the coast of La Jolla on a maintenance trip in January, it said. CBS 8.
Khudainatov claimed ownership of the Amadea and said he cannot lose it to the US government because it has not been sanctioned.
Prosecutors argue that Khudainatov is acting as Amadea’s “front owner” to disguise Kerimov’s role.
Kerimov, 57, was sanctioned in 2022 for violating previous sanctions against him by using US bank accounts to purchase products and services ‘for the operation and maintenance of Amadea’.
The costs break down to $600,000 per month in operating costs; $360,000 for the crew; $75,000 for fuel; and $165,000 for maintenance, waste removal, food and other expenses
The government is paying $144,000 a month in prorated insurance costs and other charges, including drydocking fees, adding an additional $178,000, bringing the total to $922,000.
The luxury yacht features a live lobster tank, a hand-painted piano, a swimming pool and a large helipad. It was built in 2017 by the German company Lurssen, according to Superyacht Times and is listed as the 63rd largest yacht in the world.
He was previously sanctioned in 2018 for being “complicit in certain activities with respect to Ukraine” after Russia invaded the Crimean peninsula in 2014.
The oligarch is a former oil trader and member of the Russian Federation Council, the country’s upper legislative chamber. He is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and is worth an estimated $14.5 billion.
The Amadea was docked in Fiji when American authorities first attempted to seize the ship.
The United States ultimately won a legal battle in Fiji to keep the ship and are now looking to sell it while ownership is challenged in US courts.
If the US government manages to auction the yacht, it will likely eventually transfer the proceeds from the sale to Ukraine.