The crew aboard a Russian billionaire's yacht in Norway is catching and barbecuing fish because local businesses refuse to refuel the vessel, which has left it stranded, the captain told The Wall Street Journal.
The vessel is believed to be owned by a man who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin but has avoided sanctions.
According to SuperYacht Fan, Ragnar, worth $85 million, has been stuck in the port of Narvik, Norway, for over a month because fuel suppliers are refusing to do business with Strzhalkovsky.
Norwegian fuel suppliers told the Norwegian public broadcaster that they didn't want to help any entities associated with Russia, even though Strzhalkovsky isn't among the Russian oligarchs who have been hit by Western sanctions.
The US, the UK, and the European Union have imposed sanctions on people believed to be close to Putin.
People in some countries have protested against Russian goods. Despite UK sanctions at the time, dockworkers in the UK refused to handle Russian natural gas.
Rob Lancaster, the yacht's captain, told The Journal that the crew of the Ragnar had been barbecuing cod because they couldn't find a place to stay.
Lancaster told The Journal that they didn't realize why there was so much fuss with them.
Lancaster said that the 16 crew members on board were from Western countries and had nothing to do with the owner of the boat.
A number of yachts have been seized in Europe because they are not subject to sanctions. The local government told Insider that the yacht was seized after it docked in Gibraltar.
Spain, France, and Italy all seized vessels linked to Putin and the arms tycoon Sergey Chemezov.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
