Ukraine war: Ex-KGB officer’s superyacht stranded in Norway for weeks
- Russian’s superyacht has been stuck in Norway because local businesses refused to refuel it
- Norway cannot seize the vessel because its owner has not been sanctioned by the European Union
02:11
Russian superyachts targeted as countries try to punish oligarchs for Russian invasion of Ukraine
An ultra-luxurious yacht owned by a Russian oligarch and former KGB officer may soon be on its way again after weeks of being refused fuel by Norwegians.
The converted icebreaker is docked in the port of Narvik, a small town in Norway’s far north, where it has been snubbed by fuel suppliers in protest over the Ukraine war.
With its imposing bow and helicopter platform, its dark grey silhouette stands in contrast to the cargo ships that come to load iron ore transported from a mine in neighbouring Sweden.
But, it is the identity of its owner which makes it a local curiosity: the 68-metre (223-foot) yacht, said to house a host of toys – like jet-skis, snowmobiles and ROVs, as well as amenities like an English pub – belongs to Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, according to various yacht industry sites.
The 67-year-old businessman, who became extremely wealthy after a stint as the head of the mining giant Norilsk Nickel, is said to have links to Vladimir Putin, with whom he served in the KGB in Saint Petersburg, when the city was still called Leningrad.
Although he is not on the list of Russians targeted by European sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, his alleged ties to the Russian leader has spooked locals and when the Ragnar needed to refuel in Narvik, where it anchored on February 15, no one there would sell him fuel.