A superyacht owned by a Russian oligarch is stranded in a Norwegian port because no one wants to sell it fuel.
The Ragnar is owned by Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, a former KGB agent who has been linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is not on the EU sanctions list.
The yacht has been stranded in Narvik harbor since February 15.
“We find the discrimination against us extremely unfair,” the yacht’s captain, Robert Lankester, wrote in a message.
The British captain pointed out that none of the crew is Russian.
“We are a Western team of 16,” he told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. “We have nothing to do with the owner.”
But local fuel suppliers say they don’t want to help entities associated with Russia.
“Why should we help them?” Holmlund Oil Service General Manager Sven Holmlund told NRK.
“You can row home. Or use a sail.”
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Mr. Strzhalkovsky is the former head of mining giant Norilsk Nickel.
The 68-meter yacht includes a lounge designed to resemble a British pub, while also featuring heli-ski equipment, four ski scooters and a giant slide, according to Boat International.
Earlier this month, French authorities seized a superyacht owned by Igor Sechin, head of Russia’s state-owned energy company Rosneft.
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