Tuesday 4 October 2022 05:06 PM 'Putin's £100m superyacht renamed Killer Whale and spotted off the coast of ... trends now
Vladimir Putin's second-largest superyacht, valued at £100million, has escaped sanctions and was recently spotted off the coast of Estonia under a new name, according to a report.
The dictator's plaything, the 267-foot Graceful, is now sailing under the name of Kosatka (Russian for 'killer whale'), according to Forbes, who claim Carl Groll, a contributing photographer for TheYachtPhoto.com photographed it on September 25.
The pictures show Kosatka travelling north through the Baltic Sea under the watchful eye of a Russian coastguard vessel, thought to be en route to Putin's home town of St Petersburg.
The superyacht had beat a hasty retreat out of Germany for the Russian exclave at the onset of war, just as Western governments were threatening to embark on a seizing spree of oligarchs' property should Putin invade Ukraine.
Reports from German newspaper Bild suggested the superyacht had escaped before repairs could even be finished.
They referenced UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who had told Putin and his allies they would 'have nowhere to hide' if Russia invades Kiev.
Vladimir Putin's second-largest superyacht 'Graceful', valued at £100million, has reportedly been renamed Kosatka, (Russian for 'killer whale'). It was spotted passing Estonia, thought to be on its way to St Petersburg and out of the grasp of Western governments
Vladimir Putin waits on the deck of a yacht to welcome Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on the Black Sea in May 29, 2021 in Sochi, Russia
The yacht Graceful - now Kostka - with interior and exterior design by H2 Yacht Design, was originally built by Sevmash in Russia and later moved to Germany for modifications
Kieler Nachrichten published a photograph showing Graceful docked alongside the German Navy Corvette Emden at the shipyard before it set sail
The ship's movements and the time of its name change are unclear as its transponder has been switched off since at least
