The 82-meter yacht Graceful, linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Forbes and US sanctions authorities, has been moved to the closed military port of Severomorsk in Murmansk Oblast, Danish broadcaster DR reported after analyzing satellite imagery and maritime traffic data.
The yacht, also known as Kosatka, traveled through the Baltic and North Seas escorted by a destroyer and the support vessel Voevoda, and was spotted at a pier in Severomorsk on July 5, according to DR. Satellite imagery from the company Vantor confirmed that the vessel's length, width, helicopter pad location, and bow shape match Graceful's specifications.
The convoy initially transmitted via AIS that it was heading to Istanbul, but the final destination turned out to be the closed military port. After passing along Norway's coast, both ships switched off their transponders. The Voevoda briefly turned its transponder back on about 70 kilometers from Severomorsk.
Flemming Splidsboel Hansen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said the most likely explanation for the relocation is an attempt to move the yacht out of the Baltic region, which has become more vulnerable to Ukrainian long-range drones and missiles. Other experts interviewed by DR also called the drone-protection theory the most plausible, while not ruling out that the vessel may have needed repairs.
Graceful had previously been spotted repeatedly in Sochi during Putin's visits. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the yacht is believed to have rarely left the Baltic region. The United States imposed sanctions on the vessel over its ties to the Russian leader. The yacht's value is estimated at $100–120 million.