The yacht Graceful, which Forbes has described as Vladimir Putin’s personal yacht, was recently moved through the Baltic and North Seas and relocated to the military harbor of Severomorsk, the main base of Russia’s Northern Fleet. The Danish broadcaster DR reported the development after analyzing satellite images and maritime traffic data.
According to DR, the vessel had previously transmitted an AIS signal indicating that it was heading to Istanbul, but its final destination turned out to be a closed military port in Russia’s Murmansk Region.
DR journalists compared satellite images from Vantor with the yacht’s technical specifications published by H2 Yacht Design, the company that made the plans for the boat. They said the vessel’s length, width, helipad location, and bow shape matched Graceful’s characteristics.
Earlier this month, the yacht passed through Danish territorial waters accompanied by a Russian destroyer and a Project 23700 vessel called Voevoda. Media reports previously said Voevoda is formally listed as part of Russia’s Maritime Rescue Service. However, even during construction, industry experts and sources cited by the Russian newspaper Kommersant questioned whether it would be used for its official purpose. They suggested Voevoda could serve as an escort ship or representative vessel for Putin.
After passing along Norway’s coast, both vessels switched off their AIS transmissions. On July 4, Voevoda briefly transmitted its coordinates again while located about 70 kilometers from the Russian port of Severomorsk. On a July 5 satellite image, DR found two vessels at the pier that it assessed were highly likely to be Graceful and Voevoda.
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.
The 80-meter Graceful is is also known as “Kosatka,” Russian for “orca.” According to Forbes, the vessel belongs to Putin, and U.S. sanctions authorities note that the Russian dictator used it for personal trips. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the yacht is believed to have rarely left the Baltic region.
