‘Pier’ pressure got to them.A fleet of superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs are scrambling for safe havens — a desperate flight that comes amid extraordinary global pressure to seize and squeeze owners’ assets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russians own up to 10 percent of the global fleet of mega-yachts, according to SuperYachtNews. The oligarchy is especially fond of obnoxious showboats with over-the-top amenities straight from a James Bond thriller, including submarines, helicopter hangars, underwater observation decks and “anti-paparazzi” technology meant to prevent passengers from being photographed.France has seized one of these vessels, with two more held by Italian authorities, while the status of another Russian superyacht in Germany is in dispute. Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska) introduced on Wednesday the Bringing Oligarch Accountability Through Seizure (BOATS) Act which specifically targets Russian superyachts.
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