The
government of Ukraine has selected a Dutch auction house to oversee the sale of
the Russian yacht Royal Romance, which was seized and
transferred to Ukrainian ownership earlier this year.
Croatian and Ukrainian authorities
say that Royal Romance was owned by Viktor Medvedchuk, a
former Soviet lawyer, Ukrainian politician, oligarch and supporter of Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
Medvedchuk was indicted by Ukrainian prosecutors for treason in 2021, and was
captured by Ukrainian forces in April 2022. He was handed over to Russian
forces in a prisoner exchange later that year, and he now resides in exile in Russia.
Medvedchuk
has been sanctioned by Ukraine and twice by the United States.
"The assets of traitors to
Ukraine will be used for the benefit of Ukraine," said ARMA in a
statement.
"This case also sends a clear message to oligarchs and corrupt officials
that their illicit assets will be identified, seized and realized for the
benefit of the Ukrainian people."
The
international forfeiture and sale of Russian megayachts has had uneven
progress, thanks in large part to the difficulty of proving ownership.