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Seized $600 Million Megayacht Dilbar Has Left Port in the Middle of the Night

Dilbar, once one of the most famous and talked-about megayachts in the world due to its size and reported cost of $600 million, is on the move again. After spending months in dry dock following German authorities’ decision to freeze it, Dilbar has left the port of Hamburg in the middle of the night.
$600 million megayacht Dilbar was delivered in 2016, is now frozen in Germany under international sanction 16 photos
Photo: Lurssen
Megayacht Dilbar at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Germany, undergoing construction work after it was seized by authoritiesMegayacht Dilbar at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Germany, undergoing construction work after it was seized by authoritiesMegayacht Dilbar at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Germany, undergoing construction work after it was seized by authoritiesMegayacht Dilbar at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Germany, undergoing construction work after it was seized by authoritiesDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor YachtDilbar Motor Yacht
Dilbar is one of the biggest catches of international authorities under the current wave of sanctions against Russian oligarchs. It belongs to billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who also happens to be one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, and was seized in Germany in March this year. It had been sitting in the Blohm + Voss shipyard for refits, so, in a way, it never actually stood a chance.

Following the arrest, there have been signs of movement at the shipyard, like extensive maintenance work that included removing all covers and reports about having it refloated. Lurssen, which delivered Dilbar in 2016 for a rumored $600 million, would only say that whatever work was being undertaken was necessary maintenance, of which authorities had been informed in advance.

Last night (September 21), under the apparent cover of darkness, Dilbar was brought out of the dry dock and refloated. It then quietly – and very slowly – made its way out of the port of Hamburg, local media outlet NDR reports. Footage of Dilbar’s exit is included in the video below, which is stamped at the 3.17-minute mark for your convenience.

Despite previous concerns and the odd timing of the exit, this is not a case of trying to make an escape. Dilbar is now a “dead vessel,” in the sense that its engines have been removed, and it has no crew onboard, so the only traveling it will do will be by a tugboat. The purpose of its removal from the Blohm + Voss shipyard is to make room for other projects, so Lurssen, which is the parent company of Blohm + Voss, is taking it to a storage facility in Bremen.

NDR says that Dilbar is being towed by two tugboats down the Elbe river and should be moored in Bremen no later than Thursday night. For obvious reasons, a third tugboat carrying customs officers is accompanying the convoy, but with no engines and no crew, Dilbar is not going anywhere authorities don’t want it to go.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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