Italy seizes billion-dollar superyacht Scheherazade, reportedly linked to the Russian government

The Italian government says it has seized a luxury yacht worth almost a billion dollars, which is reportedly linked to the Russian government. Key points: The 140-metre superyacht has been rumoured to have links to Russia's President, but its actual owner isn't publicly known Italian authorities have seized the vessel, which they say is linked to "prominent elements of the Russian government" Italy has asked the EU to introduce sanctions against the yacht's true owner The 140-metre, six-deck Scheherazade had been undergoing repairs in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara since September, but recent activity at the dockside suggested the crew might be preparing to put the vessel to sea. Italy's Finance Minister had adopted a decree to stop the superyacht from sailing away from the Tuscan port earlier this week, after an investigation of the vessel linked it to "prominent elements of the Russian government". While Italy's finance ministry has not named an owner, a source with direct knowledge of the investigation into the vessel told the Reuters news agency that Italian police believed the owner was Eduard Khudainatov, the former chief of Russian energy giant Rosneft, who is not currently a target of European Union sanctions. Italy's finance ministry said the probe carried out by the country's financial police corps found "significant economic business links of the beneficial owner" of the Scheherazade as well to other subjects included in a list issued in 2014 as part of EU measures prompted by Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.