The yacht Graceful, often described by international media as Vladimir Putin’s personal vessel, has been observed navigating through Danish waters early on Monday. The yacht crossed the Great Belt strait after midnight and passed by the Danish island of Anholt in the morning.
This unusual appearance follows a lengthy period during which the Automatic Identification System (AIS) on Graceful was turned off since 2022. Although its movements were infrequently tracked, reports confirm it is currently escorted by a Russian destroyer and another Russian patrol vessel.
The Danish Navy and the German Coast Guard have been monitoring the Russian convoy since Sunday, with the Danish patrol ship P521 Freja trailing behind the group of vessels.
Graceful measures over 80 meters in length and is reportedly valued at more than $119 million. In March 2022, it was noted that Putin possesses at least six yachts. Apart from Graceful, these include the 32-meter Nega, which he uses in the Leningrad region and northern Russia, the 140-meter Scheherazade valued at $700 million, the 57-meter Olympia worth $37 million gifted by Roman Abramovich, the 54-meter Chaika valued at €30 million, and the 46-meter Shellest estimated at $23.9 million, used for travels to Cape Idokopas on the Black Sea coast where Putin’s palace is located.
Notably, the Scheherazade was seized in Italy on May 5, 2022, amid sanctions that also targeted yachts owned by several Russian businessmen close to the Kremlin.
