Medvedev’s $100 million yacht changes name, sails to US
Universe, a 74‑meter-long yacht linked to former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, has unexpectedly been renamed Casino Royale and left Russian territorial waters, The Moscow Times reported on April 14.
According to the report, the vessel sailed through Gibraltar and Madeira and is likely bound for the United States. Its final destination appears to be a port in the North Palm Beach area near Miami, Florida. The yacht is underway with an active transponder, allowing its route to be tracked online.
Another Russian outlet, Project, reported that the yacht may have been sold. Previous records show the vessel was used by Ilya Medvedev and Maxim Yusupov, the sons of Dmitry Medvedev and former Russian energy minister Igor Yusupov. The yacht was built in 2018 by Damen Yachting in the Netherlands and registered to a shell Cayman Islands company named Southerner.
In 2020, the yacht spent more than two months in Sochi. Then, in 2022, it left the Italian port of Imperia in a hurry via Istanbul to avoid impoundment.
According to Project, Universe could have been owned by Yusupov, who is under U.S. sanctions, and his son Maxim. However, sources say Medvedev is also using the ship. The yacht reportedly has a private cabin and secure communications system designated for him. When in Russian waters, the vessel was escorted by Russian Navy ships.
Turkish observer Yoruk Isik, who tracks vessels in the Bosphorus Strait, said as early as May 2022 that the yacht likely belongs to Medvedev. He based his report on information from a source. Analysts with the Turkish organization Nordic Monitor and a marina employee in Sochi have also linked the “government-held” yacht to Medvedev.
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