The Maritime Executive
The German authorities seized the Dilbarthe world’s largest yacht by gross tonnage, after it was determined to belong to Gulbakhor Ismailova, sister of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov. Dilbar was their mother’s name.
Usmanov and his immediate family are sanctioned by the United States and the European Union in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ship – which is at a shipyard in Hamburg – was detained by German officials in early March, just days after the invasion began.
First, the detention of the Dilbar was a temporary measure while investigations were ongoing. On Thursday, the German Federal Police (BKA) announced that “thorough investigations despite concealment at sea” revealed that Ismailova was the beneficial owner of the vessel.
“The luxury yacht Dilbar is therefore subject to the Sanctions Act and can be legally fixed in Hamburg,” the agency confirmed.
Dilbar is the largest personal yacht in the world by volume, measuring nearly 16,000 GT. At 512 feet, she is also the sixth longest vessel of her type. She can accommodate up to 24 people in her spacious 40,000 square foot interior. According to its builder, it also has a 25 meter long and 180 cubic meter swimming pool, the largest ever installed on a yacht.
Alisher Usmanov owns Russian metals conglomerate Metalloinvest, media company Kommersant and mobile provider Megafon. Through Metalloinvest, he is also a major shareholder in Deep Sea Minerals Finance, the successor company to bankrupt deep-sea mining company Nautilus Minerals.
