France seizes yacht of Russian oligarch in south of France

France seized a superyacht of Russian oligarch Igor Sechin on Thursday in the southern French city of La Ciotat, according to French media outlet France24.

Sechin is the CEO of Russian energy giant Rosneft and a close friend and confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The move is part of sanctions imposed by the EU in recent days on Russian entities, markets, and industry.

“As part of the implementation of European Union sanctions against Russia and in support of Ukraine, we seized a first yacht,” Minister of Public Action and Accounts Olivier Dussopts wrote on Twitter.

The yacht, Amor Vero, is docked at a shipyard in the port city near Marseille. Ownership lies in the hands of Rosneft, of which Sechin is the main shareholder. It has been in the company’s possession since 2013.