Roman Abramovich’s fleet of superyachts will be mothballed “imminently” as Bermudan authorities prepare to withdraw the flag they sail under, an insider revealed.
The 533ft Eclipse and 456ft Solaris, along with at least two support vessels, are among £1billion assets that could not sail.
Eclipse and Solaris are currently anchored in Turkey to avoid being seized by international sanctions elsewhere.
Meanwhile, 220ft Garcon and 180ft Halo are in Antigua where their property is being surveyed. None will be able to depart to other destinations or even neighboring ports if they lose their registration in Bermuda.
The 533ft Eclipse (above) and the 456ft Solaris, along with at least two support ships, are among £1billion assets that could not sail
And a growing sign of how sanctions are hitting the Russian billionaire is that contractors are refusing to perform routine maintenance, while bank blockages mean ships can’t refuel and frustrated employees go unpaid.
“The entire fleet is under the Bermuda flag and is in the process of being de-registered,” a source told the Daily Mail.
“We don’t know when it will happen. All we know is that it’s imminent. You can’t sail without a flag. The captain would be arrested. There is also a fuel shortage. If you pay millions of pounds to fuel boats, it goes through bank channels and gets rejected.’
Department heads have been told to refrain from large purchases and keep crew supplies to a minimum, although the food is “still really good,” the source said.
The withdrawal of contract services means megayachts cannot receive shoreside assistance for routine maintenance.
Morale among the fleet’s 200 crew members is at rock bottom as most have not been paid since February, the source added.
Roman Abramovich’s fleet of superyachts will be mothballed “imminently” as Bermudan authorities prepare to withdraw the flag they sail under, an insider revealed
“Initially they were told two to three days. Then five to ten days. After that it was just silence,” the insider said.
“People were fired with promises of severance packages, but then they didn’t get a dime back.”
At Solaris, 30 employees left with severance packages. So out of 50 crew members on board and 20 people on leave at all times, almost half left. And that across the entire fleet.
Superyacht crews are not violating sanctions, but seafarers’ union Nautilus International warned that increased compliance checks by banks had become a “major issue” for staff pay.
Yacht Division Manager Derek Byrne said: “A number of crew members on board Roman Abramovich’s yachts have contacted us for non-payment of wages.”
“The entire fleet is under the Bermuda flag and is in the process of being de-registered,” a source told the Daily Mail. Solaris is pictured above
He added: “The delivery of external services has been affected and even supplies of fuel and equipment have been reduced or halted.
“Some yachts have lost their class and need to secure this, along with new insurance and possibly flag registration transfer, which does not appear to be an easy process.”
Losing the flag means ships are almost certainly “illegal to sail” and stuck in ports, he said.
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory that allows vehicles registered there to fly their version of the Red Ensign. The flag of convenience allows yacht owners to fly a national flag without being residents or citizens of Bermuda while avoiding higher taxes and stricter regulations elsewhere.
It also provides ships with benefits such as Royal Navy protection and consular support. Ian Hodge of the charity Merchant Navy Association recently described the use of the Red Ensign on the oligarchs’ ships as “embarrassing”.
Abramovich’s fleet has been on the run since the first threats of sanctions emerged after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Solaris, which is said to have a missile detection system, was under repairs in Barcelona in early March when workers reportedly tore down scaffolding to escape authorities.
Both yachts are now anchored off the southwest coast of Turkey. Solaris is near the city of Yalikavak, while Eclipse, which has two heliports, is in front of the city of Dalaman.
Bermuda has been criticized for not cracking down on superyachts controlled by banned Russian oligarchs.
The Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority did not respond to requests for comment.
Last month, a spokesman said it had 10 registered vessels “linked to high-profile Russian nationals.” Abramovich was in Istanbul briefly last month, according to flight tracking data, but it is not known if he boarded his yachts.
Its representatives were repeatedly asked for an opinion.