Luxury jets and yachts: life is good for Putin's family
Western sanctions prohibit the sale of yachts to Russia. But if you're a member of Putin's family, the rules don't seem to apply.
Despite the ban on yacht sales to Russia, a French-built luxury sailing yacht, the Immortal Dreamer, has been purchased by a company linked to Mikhail Shelomov, Vladimir Putin's nephew.
Meanwhile, while Russian civil aviation suffers from constant breakdowns due to a shortage of spare parts, the company that maintains the private jet of Alina Kabaeva, Putin's long-time mistress, manages to import Western-made components.
For a handful of lucky Russians who got close enough to the country's president-for-life, life goes on almost as if their country's invasion of Ukraine had never happened.
The new French yacht Immortal Dreamer cost Putin's nephew more than 700 million rubles (approx. $7.85 million).
According to airline booking information obtained by The Insider, Putin's nephew, Shelomov, frequently visits the Black Sea coast. Ever since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he travels with his wife and two children from St. Petersburg to Sochi.
Neither Mr. Shelomov nor the companies involved in importing the luxury French yacht into Russia are subject to Western sanctions.
(MH with D. Rodriguez/Source: The Insider/Photo: Pexels)