Putin's superyacht Graceful to sail through UK waters with major escort

Putin's 'love nest' superyacht Graceful to sail through UK waters with major escort

The 267-foot floating palace, linked to Putin's glamorous partner "Tsarina" Alina Kabaeva, 43, is reportedly heading through UK waters towards the Mediterranean

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Vladimir Putin's "love nest" superyacht Graceful is set to cruise past Britain, accompanied by a Russian naval destroyer.

The 267-foot floating palace is understood to be a favourite of his glamorous partner, "Tsarina" Alina Kabaeva, 43, the gymnast mother of his two underage sons.

One possibility is that the superyacht is bound for Turkey to serve as a holiday retreat for Putin's family, enabling them to escape the continuous Ukrainian strikes and severe fuel shortages, which are making this a summer of misery for Russians.

Another elite Putin yacht - the 233-foot Victoria, worth $45 million with extravagant and ostentatious interiors - departed the Black Sea this week, travelling through the Bosphorus, and is currently sailing towards the Turkish resort Bodrum.

It features "two master cabins," potentially for Putin and Kabaeva, with photographs suggesting the dictator sleeps in a round bed with a ceiling mirror.

Graceful is travelling from the Skagerrak, between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, into the North Sea and eventually to the Mediterranean.

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Referred to in Russia as Kosatka, or Killer Whale, it is accompanied by the Russian warship Severomorsk to prevent Western nations from boarding and seizing the superyacht and the "rescue vessel" Voevoda. They are heading for Istanbul.

The convoy is anticipated to pass the coast of Britain, likely via the English Channel, although some Russian vessels are presently taking the extended route around the British Isles. Both Danish and German maritime authorities kept a close watch on the unusual convoy as it made its way through the Baltic Sea.

Previously, the Graceful had vanished from tracking systems for three years during Putin's war against Ukraine.

After Danish media outlets detected it via transponder signals, the vessel deactivated its AIS system to minimise its visibility.

The Graceful has been connected to Putin, 73, and his family for a number of years, and is crewed by FSO presidential security officers, according to investigators.

It has never been officially declared in Russia as his yacht.

The superyacht is sanctioned by the U.S. but not apparently by Britain or the EU.

In 2021, the Graceful was dispatched to Hamburg for repairs, but in early February 2022, as the conflict loomed, it was hastily transferred to the Russian Baltic port of Kaliningrad, according to the team of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The accompanying warship Severomorsk is a Udaloy-class guided-missile destroyer.

The Voevoda is a "special dual-purpose ship" that can act as a "yacht for high-ranking individuals."

It functions as an escort vessel, providing security, logistics, and support for VIP ships.

This is believed to be the first occasion the sleek white Graceful has activated its transponder since 2022.

The prestigious vessel is thought to have been utilised by Kabaeva and, on occasion, Putin in the Gulf of Finland throughout the war.

Its construction involved offshore companies allegedly tied to Putin's network. In May 2021, Putin welcomed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko aboard Graceful during a Black Sea voyage near Sochi.

The Victoria is understood to feature a television system "with a connected package of channels for children."

Putin and Kabaeva have two children, Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, 7, who receive their education from governesses and tutors originating from NATO countries, including Britain.