Sanctioned Russian oligarch's $500 million superyacht leaves Hong Kong for Cape Town - CNN

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Luxury megayacht Nord, reportedly tied to Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov, anchored successful Hong Kong waters connected October 12, 2022.

A luxury yacht belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexey Mordashov departed Hong Kong waters connected Thursday heading for the South African larboard of Cape Town, according to backstage tracking tract MarineTraffic.

The salient show of the 465 ft (141-meter) multi-deck Nord successful the city’s Victoria harbor successful caller weeks had sparked disapproval from the US State Department, which questioned the “transparency” of the fiscal hub and warned of reputational risks.

Mordashov, a billionaire adjacent to President Vladimir Putin, was among a fig of Russians sanctioned by the United States and European Union – but not the United Nations – aft Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for their links to Putin.

While a fig of Russian superyachts person been seized oregon denied introduction successful Europe and different jurisdictions, the Nord was near undisturbed successful Hong Kong aft its accomplishment connected Oct. 5.

Valued astatine implicit $500 million, it arrived via a seven-day voyage from Vladivostok successful Russian Far East, down done the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.

The Hong Kong Marine Department aboriginal confirmed that the Nord had departed Hong Kong connected Thursday but said it could not remark further.

The MarineTraffic tract enactment the vas southeast of Hong Kong waters aboriginal connected Thursday evening, heading into the South China Sea.

A witnesser saw a substance barge alongside the vas wrong the harbor astatine noon.

Hong Kong’s person John Lee said connected Oct. 11 the city’s authorities would not enactment connected unilateral sanctions imposed connected Mordashov by idiosyncratic jurisdictions.

“We cannot bash thing that has nary ineligible basis,” said Lee, who himself has been sanctioned by the US for his relation connected a crackdown connected section freedoms.

Lee, who is owed to big an planetary concern acme successful November with planetary concern leaders, said the Chinese-ruled metropolis would lone abide by United Nations sanctions.