Yacht of Russian-linked oligarch spotted in Danish Straits: vessel may pose threat

A newly built superyacht belonging to an oligarch on the sanctions list could be used for espionage.

The yacht belongs to Russian-linked oligarch Leonard Blavatnik, Gospodarka Morska reports.

According to TV2, the 109-meter vessel has been docked in Copenhagen and Aarhus in recent days.

“Vessels of this class can be used for both espionage and sabotage. If the owner may have ties to Russia, this should be kept in mind,” said Anders Pak Nielsen, an analyst at the Danish Defense Academy.

He added that such yachts, with a helicopter pad and a satellite communications tower, could carry a “huge” amount of equipment, including small underwater vehicles that could be used to survey critical infrastructure. In addition, Nielsen drew attention to the fact that tourist ships can freely sail in Danish territorial waters and “disappear from radar” if the country’s defense is focused on warships.

The newspaper “Berlingske” noted that the owner of the O3 is 68-year-old Leonard (also Leo or Leonid) Blavatnik, who was born in Odessa and grew up in Moscow. Later, at the age of 21, he emigrated to the United States, has American and British citizenship.

In the ranking of the richest people in the world by Forbes magazine, Blavatnik took 71st place. Currently, he is the owner, in particular, of the famous record company Warner Music Group. The businessman earned a significant part of his fortune from investments in the Russian oil and mining sectors.

TV2 journalists were unable to confirm whether Blavatnik was on board the yacht. In contrast, the Danish Navy, when asked about the threat to the country’s security, only responded in general terms that they were “monitoring the situation in territorial waters.” According to Marine Traffic, in early June the yacht left the port in Hamburg (Germany), where it was built, for Norway, and then sailed around Denmark. 

Read also: Russian frigate opens fire near British yacht in the English Channel.