Photo: Burgess Yachts
The unprecedented sanctions targeting all vessels owned or controlled by Russians with ties to Kremlin have led to various bizarre situations, from superyachts that had turned off their signals, becoming “invisible,” to others being stuck in different parts of the world, waiting for their fate to be decided. In the case of Ragnar, a massive explorer, the crew on board seems to be facing the consequences, while the targeted owner is nowhere in sight.
An $85 million superyacht has been stuck in Norway for a month now. The surprising part is that it’s not even meant to be seized since its owner, Vladimir Strzhalkovsky hasn’t officially been sanctioned by the EU.
The fact that Ragnar continues to be stuck in this location is due to the personal choice of local oil suppliers, who refused to refuel it and continue to do so. What seemed like a temporary incident has reached comical proportions – its crew is just catching fish and barbecuing it, as the vessel can’t literally go anywhere else without fuel.
Apparently, the explorer’s captain wasn’t even aware of “why there was so much fuss with us,” according to an interview for the Wall Street Journal. He added that all the 16 crew members on board are from Western countries and “have nothing to do” with the Russian oligarch.
On the other hand, the local oil suppliers had told the media last week that they simply didn’t want to offer any type of help to Russian entities, no matter if they were sanctioned or not. There are no media reports of what Strzhalkovsky thinks about this situation or what he plans to do about it. Ragnar’s captain and crew members seem to be on their own at this point.
Meanwhile, the fate of 21 yachts in Finland continues to hang in the balance after being seized earlier this week. As authorities establish their ownership and whether they are sanctioned or not, the luxury boats are also stuck, similarly to the Ragnar explorer. At the same time, the “hunt” for the superyachts on the official EU sanctions list continues.
The fact that Ragnar continues to be stuck in this location is due to the personal choice of local oil suppliers, who refused to refuel it and continue to do so. What seemed like a temporary incident has reached comical proportions – its crew is just catching fish and barbecuing it, as the vessel can’t literally go anywhere else without fuel.
Apparently, the explorer’s captain wasn’t even aware of “why there was so much fuss with us,” according to an interview for the Wall Street Journal. He added that all the 16 crew members on board are from Western countries and “have nothing to do” with the Russian oligarch.
On the other hand, the local oil suppliers had told the media last week that they simply didn’t want to offer any type of help to Russian entities, no matter if they were sanctioned or not. There are no media reports of what Strzhalkovsky thinks about this situation or what he plans to do about it. Ragnar’s captain and crew members seem to be on their own at this point.
Meanwhile, the fate of 21 yachts in Finland continues to hang in the balance after being seized earlier this week. As authorities establish their ownership and whether they are sanctioned or not, the luxury boats are also stuck, similarly to the Ragnar explorer. At the same time, the “hunt” for the superyachts on the official EU sanctions list continues.
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