Sanctioned Russian oligarch yacht in Dubai as pressure grows

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A sleek $156 million superyacht belonging to a sanctioned Russian oligarch and parliamentarian is now docked in Dubai, the latest reminder of how the skyscraper-studded sheikhdom has become a haven for Russian money amid Moscow's war on Ukraine.

The 98-meter (324-foot) Madame Gu, which has a helicopter pad, gym, beach club and elevator, remained moored off Dubai's Port Rashid on Thursday in what has become a test for the close partnership between the United States and United Arab Emirates.

The vessel, with an eye-catching blue hull and $1 million annual paint job price tag, is owned by Andrei Skoch, one of the wealthiest men in Russia's Duma. A steel magnate, Skoch's fortune is valued at about $6.6 billion, according to Forbes. Attempts to reach Skoch for comment were not successful.

Like sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko’s Motor Yacht A docked in the northern emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, the presence of Madame Gu in Dubai shows how Russian oligarchs have parked their assets in the UAE even as Western governments increasingly enforce sanctions and American pressure mounts on its Gulf Arab ally to follow suit.

The U.S. Treasury first sanctioned Skoch in 2018 over his role in government and alleged “longstanding ties to Russian organized criminal groups, including time spent leading one such enterprise.” Earlier this month, the Treasury designated the Madame Gu, along with its helicopter, barring American entities from conducting business with the superyacht. Skoch is also sanctioned by the European Union.

The Madame Gu, registered in the Cayman Islands, flew an Emirati flag on Thursday when Associated Press journalists observed the ship — a show of wealth dramatic enough to rival the Dubai’s famed Queen Elizabeth 2...