April 6 (UPI) — Dutch officials on Wednesday said they have seized 14 yachts owned by Russian oligarchs as Moscow faces sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Wipke Hoekstra said the seized assets included 12 “superyachts” — measuring longer than 114 feet — that were under construction in the Netherlands and two others undergoing scheduled maintenance.
Shipyards have been made aware that the yachts can’t be delivered to their owners while the sanctions are in place.
A further investigation into 15 Dutch shipyards and five traders is currently ongoing.
Hoekstra added that $563 million in Russian-owned assets have been frozen by Dutch authorities and $169 million in transactions have been blocked.
The United States announced new sanctions in conjunction with the G7 and the European Union, of which the Netherlands is a member, targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s adult daughters.
Putin’s eldest daughter, Vorontsova lives in Moscow but previously lived in Amsterdam with her Russian-born Dutch husband, Jorrit Faassen.
After pro-Russian forces shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, killing 298 people, residents and officials in the city called for her expulsion from the Netherlands.
