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Graceful escorted past Denmark
A luxury yacht linked to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the 82-meter Graceful, sailed past Denmark on 29 June under escort by two Russian naval vessels, Danish broadcaster DR said based on vessel-tracking data.
“On Monday 29 June, the luxury yacht Graceful– widely believed to be part of Putin's personal yacht fleet – was travelling north along Denmark's eastern coastline.”
Ukrainian Pravda, citing DR, reported that the convoy had been monitored by the German coastguard and the Royal Danish Navy since 09:00 on Sunday 28 June and that it was being shadowed by the Danish patrol vessel P521 Freja.
The Danish armed forces told DR that monitoring vessels, including those of foreign states, transiting the Danish straits and waters is routine.
The Moscow Times also said Graceful crossed the Great Belt strait overnight and was later spotted passing the Danish island of Anholt before heading toward Grenen, the northern tip of the Jutland peninsula.
AIS off, warships visible
DR reported that Graceful had switched off its AIS transponder for much of the period since 2022, and the Danish public broadcaster said the yacht was no longer sending a signal by Monday evening, according to Marinetraffic.com.
The Danish armed forces told DR, "The armed forces routinely monitor vessels, including foreign state vessels, transiting Danish straits and territorial waters, using the capacities designated for this purpose," as the convoy moved through Danish waters.
The South China Morning Post said Danish media reported the boat was accompanied by two Russian warships and that it had been accompanied alternately by the Danish navy and the German coastguard from Sunday morning.
In parallel, Meduza reported that the yacht’s AIS transponder had been switched off since August 30, 2022, and that Agentstvo listed Istanbul as the yacht’s destination.
Destination and wider context
Multiple outlets said Graceful’s destination was not publicly clear, with DR-based reporting describing the current destination as unknown while other reporting listed Istanbul as the destination.
“Agentstvo reported that Istanbul is listed as the yacht’s destination.”
Meduza said the independent Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo reported that Istanbul is listed as the yacht’s destination, and it described the convoy as traveling with a Russian destroyer and the patrol boat Voyevoda.
UNITED24 Media said a second Putin-linked superyacht, the 71-meter Victoria, departed the coast of Russia’s Krasnodar Krai on June 26 and transited the Bosphorus Strait on the morning of June 28 before anchoring briefly in Istanbul’s Pendik district.
The same UNITED24 Media report said a Florida court lawsuit accused Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne of arranging a $6 million bribe during the sale of the seized superyacht Alfa Nero to a Turkish conglomerate.
